Darker than Ebony
by mikim
Summary: Sakura & Sayoran invited for her 10th anniversay Eriol and his guardians. But, when he arrives back to Tomoeda, huge is his surprise to see that Tomoyo has a son, named Rei. Finally Updated!
1. Darker than Ebony Prologue

_Darker than Ebony._

**Prologue.**

By mikim 

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A small note first: 

Touchan, Otousan: variations of the same word: father. 

Kaachan, Okaasan: variations of the same word: mother. 

Standard disclaimers apply: all belongs to Clamp, except Rei, who is mine.

Rated: R-don't say you haven't been warned.

Period: after the CCS acts, therefore HUGE SPOILERS. You have been warned.

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The garden was secretive and attractive with trees and bushes which gently moved in the light evening breeze. The man was reading, lying on his side, on a wide white wool blanket, his head supported by his elbow, the book in his other hand. He had silver hair and round glasses which reflected the blazing red sun. Playing next to him was a toddler, no more than two years and a half, happily gurgling with some of his soft toys scattered around him. 

Regularly, the man would glanced up from his book to make sure the child was within his reach. Rei, the child, was a real bundle of joy, with his dark hair and fair skin. Always laughing, his dark eyes sparkling with wonder, his chubby cheeks always pink from laughter. His white shirt was tainted with a huge chocolate mark on the front and his white socks had been knocked off a long time ago and were resting somewhere in the house. Surprisingly enough the yellow shorts were untouched by chocolate. The small legs were covered here and there of bruises, as Rei couldn't stay in place more than 5 minutes. He was always running around, trying to climb up trees or tables. 

The day had been hot and heavy, therefore, man and boy had fled to the sanctuary of the trees where it was much more cooler. Even now, as the sun was about to kiss the day good night, the air was still hot and a little bothersome. The summer was at his full height and the man could hear, from the neighborhood children playing with fireworks, laughing, running after each other. How could little ones have so much energy was a constant wonder to him. Sighing, the man looked up from his book to take a look at the boy, to find himself noise to noise with the little troublemaker. 

Yukito jumped in surprise, seeing his little charge so close to him, without him noticing sooner. Knowing that he had surprised the bigger man, the boy's face cracked with a mischievous smile and cupping with his small hands the other's face, he brought his forehead against his guardian's one. 

"Boom!" The boy giggled as his and Yukito's foreheads met. Yukito grimaced and rolled his eyes at the boy, eliciting more laughter. It was a game he had learned the day before with the other occupant of the house: knocking foreheads together. Yukito sat up and rubbed his forehead lightly. He would get Touya later for teaching Rei that trick. 

            A light feminine giggle caught his attention and Yukito looked behind him to find a slender woman, with long black hair, her hand over her cherry lips, stifling with difficulty her laughter in the doorframe, leading the living-room to the garden. Behind her was a tall man, with the same black hair that the woman and he too had difficulty to restrain his laughter. Touya took off his jacket, and loosening his tie, he stepped out in the garden, his dark hair ruffled by the light breeze. Yukito watched his companion coming closer with a scowl on his face but Touya paid his no attention since the small boy was running towards him as fast as his little legs could carry him, his little arms extended, his laughter raising in the night. 

"Papa! Papa! Papa!" He yelled with delight and Touya caught him by his middle section, raising him high in the air, eliciting happy laughter from the small one. The woman smiled at the display of energy and too walked in the garden. Yukito stood up and went to greet her, a happy smile on his lips.

"Evening, Tomoyo-chan." Yukito said happily as she walked closer to him. She was dressed in a white summer dress and inwardly, Yukito smiled. She really looked younger than 28 years. She looked no more than 25. Her slender figure compared to the heavy mass of her hair seemed to make her look more frail, almost fragile, like a porcelain doll, right out of her box. Securing the strap of her purse on her shoulder, Tomoyo smiled in response, watching over his shoulder Touya spinning with Rei, faster and faster. 

"Good evening, Yukito-san." She answered with her light voice. "Did he behave himself?" She wondered and Yukito shook his head: she always asked the same questions.

Yukito's smile grow fonder and he turned to watch Touya and Rei play as he answered her. "Like an angel."

"I hope he wasn't too much of a bother…" Tomoyo said, looking at Yukito, her purple eyes turning darker with light worry and remorse.

But Yukito waved her worries away, waving his right hand quickly, his left coming to rest on his hip. "Nonsense, Tomoyo-chan." 

Tomoyo laughed lightly and turned grateful eyes on him. Yukito was always surprised when her eyes would lit up like they just did: suddenly turning so clear that they looked almost blue. "Thank you, Yukito-san." 

Yukito smiled at her, turning to face her. "Nonsense again, Tomoyo-chan." He said, waving his finger under her nose, eliciting laughter again. From the corner of his left eye, he saw Touya, Rei sitting on his shoulders coming closer to them. "Now, here is the big boy." Yukito said, turning to face the grinning pair. 

Tomoyo extended her arms to the small boy and as he did the same, obviously yearning to be in her arms, she called him softly. "Rei-chan." 

"Kaachan!" He answered, wiggling to get down the shoulders to his mother's arms.

Touya placed him in her arms and Tomoyo flashed him a smile. "Thanks, Touya-kun." 

"Hum." Touya nodded and Yukito shook his head at his eloquence. Then, the four of them, while Rei was talking a mile a minute, telling his mother how his day had been, they reached the entrance door of Yukito and Touya's house. There, patiently, Tomoyo let Rei to put his shoes on by himself, helping him with her smiles and gathering him in her arms, they waved their goodbyes. Touya waved a little and dropped his hand, watching the pair, but unfortunately for him, Rei wasn't far enough not to notice. And Rei seeing that his papa had stopped waving, called back, accusing him a little. "Papa Touya!" He called, pointing at him like he was a criminal.

Touya sighed and thought that that boy was too stubborn for his own good sometimes. "Yes, yes, Rei-chan." And Touya had to resume his waving.

"Be careful on the way home!" Yukito called after them, smiling. Every evenings, when Tomoyo would pick him up, Rei would make him sure his Papa Touya would be in the doorway, waving at him, otherwise he would refuse to move, till Touya did as he wished. And Touya always gave up in the end, as it was something he had taught himself to Rei: once he had told Rei he always had to say goodbye whenever he left someone, but then, Touya would have never thought Rei would bring it so far.

Rei answered, yelling happily, waving powerfully back. "Yes!"

Placing his hands around his mouth, so that his voice would reach him, Yukito called a last time. "See you tomorrow, Rei-chan!" 

"Bye, Yuki-Touchan!" And the two disappeared behind the corner.

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The shrill bounced on the walls of the old mansion, shook the old porcelains and windows, scared the birds away and echoed in the grand corridors to the infinite. "Eriol-sama!" 

Somewhere, deep in the labyrinth called Reed Manor, hidden behind the books, a dark-haired man raised his head while the cat-like creature on his head wondered aloud.  "Why is the freak yelling so early in the morning?" 

Eriol let a smile cross his lips at Spinel's grunting tone: over the years, his moon guardian sounded more and more like an old man, grunting and grumpy. But, then, only Ruby Moon was able to wipe that façade away, with a flick of her pink hair and a bubbly laughter of her own. 

"Eriol-sama!!!!" The voice said a second time and Eriol blinked.

"Ah. It's coming closer." He said and Spinel grumpily rumbled something that Eriol couldn't understand. 

"Eriol-sama!!!!!!!!" The excited yell was accompanied by sound of mad running.

Eriol felt Spinel stretch on his head, move a little, then shifting his weight to his front paws, the creature jumped, taking its flight from his master's head to the desk. "Definitely." Spinel answered dreadfully, as he landed softly on Eriol's desk, next to the paper he had been reading. 

Eriol smiled, inwardly knowing Spinel was as curious as he was to know what was happening to their hyper companion. Just like he knew the deep bond these two shared, more a sister-brother bond than simple guardians of the same person. He watched his small companion grumble and walk in small circles on his desk, as if he was looking for a place to settle, but then, the door burst open and Ruby Moon, in her human form, yelled happily, jumping at her master's neck, sitting almost on his lap. "Eriol-sama!!!!!!!!!!!!" She said, her smile huge and exuberant. "Mail is here!!!!" His ear almost blew up by her new scream, Eriol smiled wryly and removed her from his lap, to let her sit on the left arm of his chair.

"Mail? That's all?" Indignant, Spinel sat up and glared from the desk.

Eriol pried Nakuru's vice-like arms off his neck and took from her offered hand the white letter, hushing Spinel in a smooth voice. "Spinel, be nice." He admonished gently, an evil glint in his electric blue eyes: Spinel hated whenever he took that tone to use on him. 

Nakuru nodded vigorously, her hair flying over Eriol's face. "Yes, Suppi-chan, be nice." She said, reaching for the smaller guardian, who evaded her by flying quickly to his master's shoulder frail security. 

"Who's Suppi?" He bit back quickly while Eriol turned the letter to see who had sent him this letter, as if the outside world, namely Spinel and Nakuru daily fight, didn't touch him or happened right next to him.

"Ah," Eriol exclaimed as he read the name, in an excited Japanese handwriting. "It's from Sakura-chan." Eriol smiled fondly, remembering the period he had spent next to his almost-daughter. Testing her had been fun: creating small traps, watching her in her cute outfits, running around the town, late at night, avoiding flying stuffed sheep and giant bears. 

Thinking it back, his time in Tomoeda had been the first time he had truly felt alive, as he couldn't find, as he didn't know beforehand how Sakura would react and answer to his magic, if she had had the potential to, if she had had the courage to. But Sakura had proved herself more than worthy to be the next master of the cards: she had proved to be a caring master, loved by her cards, considering them as friends rather than means. 

Eriol smiled as the letter rested, closed, in his hands, reminiscing. After separating his powers in half, after leaving Tomoeda, his life had seemed to be so dull and cold. At first, it had been fun, as if he had been rediscovering the world all over again, like he had been wandering in the dark for years and somebody had suddenly turned the switch on. But, then, there had been Kaho. Shaking his head, Eriol refused to let himself go down that road again, after all, it was part of his life and life was never all white or all dark: it was gray, this being the only lesson he had taken from Kaho. A hard-won lesson. 

A rude shaking jerked him back to the present time, as Nakuru pulling on his arm, screamed. "Ah!! Open it! Open it! Eriol-sama!" 

"Yes, yes." He smiled at her excitement and torn the letter open.

As he eyes scanned the letter quickly, Nakuru couldn't help but ask him several times. "So? So? So?" She eagerly waited for the news of Tomoeda.

"Hum, she and Xiaolang are doing just fine." Eriol said, seriously, teasing her.

"Mou! Eriol-sama!" Nakuru whined. She had been waiting for news of any incoming babies from the card mistress for years, now, but up until now, still no luck. "Quick! Quick!" She shook his arm again and Eriol gave up, smiling at her.

"She's inviting us for their 10th anniversary." He announced and Nakuru jumped from her seat and danced around his chair.

"Yeah! Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!" She screamed, hands high in the air, whirling on herself. "Say, say, say, Eriol-sama, let's go!" She said, as she turned to him, her eyes glassy and hopeful.

Eriol said nothing but stared. Then, somewhere, deep in his mind, something clicked and Eriol turned an annoyed eye to his oh so sudden quiet other guardian, who usually didn't miss an occasion to laugh at the other. Spinel seemed to shrink three sizes under his master unblinking eye and finally the cat-like creature confessed his crime. "Alright, I added three sugar spoons in her tea this morning…" Spinel flew to the desk but Eriol's unnerving gaze seemed to grow stronger and Spinel sighed heavily. "Five."

Eriol nodded to Spinel once and turned back to Nakuru, who had clasped her hands together, looking as if the world had stopped turning and Eriol sighed. "It's been a while…" He said, trying to remember when was the last time they had seen each other in person. "Since their wedding actually." He suddenly realized in surprise. It had been so long since he had last seen his other half, his almost-sons and daughter. "Alright, Ruby Moon, we're going." Eriol finished with a smile, standing up. 

Nakuru's reaction didn't wait long and Eriol and Spinel followed her jumping form all other the room with their amused eyes for one, malicious ones for the other. "Yeah!! Yeah!! Yeah!!" She screamed, making some dancing figures.

"Stop dancing, moron." Spinel told her, as she knocked into a table, making what was on top of it fall on the ground. "I can't wait for the hang-over." He mumbled to himself, as he followed the other guardian wild dance. But, then he missed Eriol's small smirk.

Eriol turned to his small guardian. "Spinel, I'll start packing, we are supposed to be in Tomoeda in three days, so could you please book some tickets for us?" He asked him.

Spinel looked up to his master and nodded, flying to the computer to turn the internet connection on. "For tonight?" He asked as he launch the connection.

Eriol headed to the door and nodded to Spinel. "Or tomorrow morning." He proposed.

"Yes, Eriol-sama." Spinel said, already surfing on the net.

As his hand reached the doorknob, Nakuru jumped on his back, her arms around his neck. "And me? And me? And me, Eriol-sama? What should I do?" She asked quickly, panting from all her jumping and wild dancing. 

Coughing a little, as Nakuru almost managed to strangle him for good, Eriol removed her arms once more and let a smirk cross his lips. "Help Spinel." He ordered her slyly, making sure that his voice reached Spinel's ears.

"Eriol-sama!" The latter squealed in protestation and outrage. 

Eriol swung the door open and moved outside, smiling broadly to Spinel as Nakuru danced her way to the computer. "You made her drunk, you deal with it." 

"Eriol-sama!!" Spinel cried in fear as Nakuru gathered him in her hands, singing on the top of her lungs. 

"Let's go, Suppi-chan! Let's go!" Eriol closed the door behind him and went upstairs, laughing lightly. 

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_Gniark, gniark, are you wondering what the hell is going on? Are you asking yourself who the hell could be Rei? And from where did he suddenly pop out? And what happened to Kaho and Eriol? Are you? Are you? _

_Good!_

_Gniark, gniark._

_mikim_


	2. So, welcome home

Darker than Ebony

By mikim

Standard disclaimers apply

Chapter 1. So, welcome home.

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The girl danced and whirled like a ballerina in her box, her wild hair reflecting the blazing morning sun and her pink summer dress hiding barely the high of her thighs. Laughing and singing, the girl annoyed her two companions to no end. "Yah! Tomoeda! This is life! Yah! Home, home, home, home, home!!" Nakuru singed, at the top of her pitch-high voice, while Eriol rubbed his forehead, eyebrows brought together in a fierce and painful frown, his eyes closed under the pain of the headache. 

Spinel Sun, the winged cat-like creature, flew out of his master left pocket to settle on his head, circling Eriol's forehead of his tail to secure his position. Spinel yawned and stretched, itching to shut the other guardian, but glad to be out of the tight pocket of Eriol's light blue jacket, he had been wearing in the plane, now tossed on the top of one of his luggage. "I thought you preferred England to Japan." 

"Who ever said this monstrosity?" Nakuru whirled around, horrified and indignant. "I love Japan way better than England!!" She announced proudly, then threw her arms in the air as she enumerated. "Here there's Touya-san! And Yukito-san! And Xiaolang! And Sakura-chan! And Tomoyo-chan!"

The trio was standing in the entrance of their long abandoned Tomoeda mansion and after getting their belongings out of the taxi, which had driven them from the airport to their home, Nakuru had decided it was time she celebrated her comeback. Eriol sat heavily on one of the biggest suitcases and sighed: the flight had been exhausting. "Ruby Moon, here's your luggage." He told her, nodding towards a mass of suitcases, bags and other items, on which several butterflies had been painted, each in flashy colors. 

"Yah, Eriol-sama, thank you!" Nakuru said, as she danced to her luggage.

Nakuru had been so wild since they had left their house in England and Eriol had been the one who had supported it all by himself since Spinel was comfortably sleeping in Nakuru's bag at her feet. Spinel had a thing, something, whatever, that made him fall asleep as soon as the plane would take off. Each time, the guardian would fall asleep, quicker than if he had a sleeping spell cast on him.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Eriol answered, as he stood up, stretching, thinking at all the tasks they had to do, as soon as they were inside the house, like cleaning, shopping, cleaning more, unpacking, calling Sakura and Xiaolang…

Nakuru's wailing voice interrupted his mental list. "Mou, Eriol-sama is grumpy this morning." She complained loudly.

Spinel snickered, from the top of Eriol's head. "Probably because you used him as a pillow in the plane, ate half his food, prevented him from sleeping and shouted all the way here." 

Nakuru quickly came forward and immediately started arguing with Spinel, but as the other guardian was on Eriol's head, it looked like she was arguing with Eriol as he was a head taller than she was. She standing nose to nose with him, her eyes up and defiant, her mouth turned in a pout, shaking her head, making her hair fly once more in Eriol' face, who considered sitting once more, so that Nakuru and Spinel would be eye to eye.

"Liar! I did not!" Nakuru screamed and Eriol gave in and sat down, therefore bringing Spinel to Nakuru's height level.

Eriol felt Spinel stand up on his four on the top of his head and feared the argument would take a while. "Did!" The small creature yelled back.

"Did not!" Nakuru screamed, stomping her foot in annoyance.

"Did!" Eriol propped his cheek in one of his hands, his elbow resting on his knee. So, he loved his guardians, he was like their father, but sometimes, they were threading on a really thin line.

"Did not!" Not that he was about to lose his temper, but then, they were increasing his headache, while all he wanted to do was to lie down and sleep for twelve hours, without an interruption, but then they had so much to do… 

"DID!"

"DID NOT!" The sound level of the argument suddenly seemed to have increase by a thousand, and Eriol decided it was time to end it, otherwise, they would stand all day on their doorstep. So he stood up and towered other Nakuru who squealed and backed away a little. Eriol quickly reached for Spinel on his head and took a breath.

But, then, an unexpected new voice startled them all. "Hiiragizawa-san?" The voice was soft and familiar, a voice they hadn't heard in a long time. Eriol turned around to find a woman, in a yellow summer dress, her hair tied in a loose bun at the base of her neck. Her smile was familiar too, he remembered suddenly how often he had gazed upon her. "I heard voices from the street and I thought it was you." She said, walking further towards them, her purple eyes glinting happily.

Eriol blinked and was suddenly aware that he was staring like a teenaged boy all over again.  "Ah! Daidouji-san." He exclaimed, letting go of Spinel who flew on Eriol's shoulder, while a blur of pink and hair ran past Eriol.

"Tomoyo-chan!!!" Nakuru squealed happily, engulfing her in a hug, which would have made a bear proud. Nakuru jumped up and down, her arms till tightly around Tomoyo, while the latter choked.

"Na-Nakuru-san!" 

"Tomoyo-chan!" Nakuru pulled back, keeping her hands on Tomoyo's shoulders and looked at her. "So pretty! So grown up! So beautiful! Cute!" She blabbered, unable to say more due to her excitement.

Tomoyo laughed lightly. "Thank you, Nakuru-san." She patted the other girl's hands gently. 

A small boy, squeezing Tomoyo's yellow dress as if his life depended on, looked up to the strange woman and his dark eyes met her exuberant ones. He stiffened at being caught staring and retreated quickly behind the protective form of his mother, but Nakuru kneeled down in front of him, squealing.  "Oh! And who is this?"

Tomoyo smiled and walked a little on the side to let everyone see her son. "Ah, Rei-chan, say hello." She told him gently, her hand taking his own in hers.

"Kaachan." The boy answered, gripping with his other hand her dress once more. He walked right behind her leg once more and looked up, scared, at Nakuru.

"Ah!" Nakuru exclaimed, her hands flying to her face. "This is your son?" She screamed, jumping back on her feet, surprising both Tomoyo and Rei at her sudden action, looking at Tomoyo with huge eyes. 

"Scary!" Rei almost screamed and hugged his mother's legs. "Kaachan! The old lady is scary!" 

Eriol was more than surprise, even though he didn't let it be known as loud as Nakuru did. Sakura had never mentioned that Tomoyo had married or had a son. He blinked quickly and his gaze fell down on the small boy: Rei was a dark-haired boy, with brown eyes so dark that they almost seemed black. His chubby face was contracted in a fierce expression, mixed of worry and fright and possession. Eriol had never lost the ability to read auras, even after the separation of his powers by Sakura and he was suddenly surprised when the fierce red aura emanated from Rei, directed against Nakuru, who had put her hands on his mother again, on her shoulders, her eyes huge and shaking her a little. Eriol let a small smile grace his lips: Rei was to be a very protective little boy of his mother and no doubt his father had some trouble coming near Tomoyo. Weirdly, the thought of the boy prevented his father coming close to Tomoyo actually pleased him.

Nakuru had put her hands on her shoulders and was asking questions a mile a minute, demanding to know the father, asking Rei's age, his birth date, his size and why, oh why, they hadn't been told that dear Tomoyo-chan was a mother, now. Tomoyo's head felt a little dizzy but she smiled a little embarrassed and detached Rei's arms off her legs. She then kneeled to be at his level and he quickly put his arms around her neck, his dark eyes demanding and scared. "Rei-chan!" She protested gently, as Rei tightened his hold on her neck. 

"Kaachan!" Rei said again. "I want Papa Touya!" He declared as Tomoyo stood up, Rei in her arms.

"Hey?" Nakuru screamed. "Papa Touya?" She repeated, shocked and flustered. Tomoyo and Touya? Then what about Yukito? And then, Tomoyo AND Touya?

To Nakuru, the world seemed to spin faster and faster, her whole body felt suddenly light and she couldn't tell exactly the right from the left. Behind her, Eriol sighed and sent her gently a wave a power, stilling her and then restored her, preventing her from fainting. Ruby Moon was so extreme sometimes, it was almost annoying. But, he couldn't honestly say, he wasn't flabbergast to know that Daidouji-san and his almost son had a son together and were apparently together.

Tomoyo didn't notice Nakuru's signs of fainting as she focused on reassuring her son. "Rei-chan, don't worry, these persons are old friends of Kaachan." She told him gently and he frowned, narrowing his eyes, doubtful.

"Really?" He asked, suspicious. 

Tomoyo laughed lightly. "Yes, promise." Rei nodded, as if accepting her answer and turned to observe his mother's strange friends. His young eyes roamed on the form of the strange old lady, then went further behind her to find a tall man, with glasses, looking shocked, his white polo and a black creature on his left shoulder.

"Ah!" Rei exclaimed suddenly, pointing at Eriol's shoulder. "Black Kero-chan!" He screamed happily and squirmed in his mother's embrace, without looking at her, his eyes locked on Spinel's form, who jumped at the name.

"What?" Spinel said, upset at being referred as "Black Kero-chan", as if he looked the slightest like that glutton.

Eriol finally came nearer the newcomers and smiled in greetings. "Daidouji-san… Or should I call you Kinomoto-san?" He asked, his blue eyes glinting in curiosity. 

Tomoyo blinked in surprise and wondered. "Uh? Why?"

Eriol was a bit taken aback by her question and obvious surprise. "Well…" He started to explain, his eyes falling on Rei, who had squirmed his way out of his mother's arms and was standing right in front of him, staring intensely at Spinel, who carefully retreated to his master's head, eyeing wearily the small boy.

Tomoyo followed his gaze and exclaimed, waving her hands quickly in denial. "Ah! No, it's a little more complicated than that." She smiled sweetly and Eriol told himself he was lost. Really, Sakura-chan could have told him.

Nakuru stepped closer, biting her lower lip, as if under deep thinking, and painfully, she started. "Tomoyo-chan… Are you…" Nakuru paused once more and bit her lip again, then taking a deep breath, she asked in a rush. "Are you their surrogate mother?" Tomoyo opened huge eyes and stared speechless at Nakuru.

"Moron." Spinel snorted finally.

Tomoyo burst in laughter and denied again. "No, no, Nakuru-san. It's not exactly that." Her cheeks were pink of laughter, pearls of tears, caused by her laughter made her eyes shine with a light he had rarely seen. Only in his dreams. Eriol blinked and shook his head inwardly. What the hell was he doing? Attracted to Daidouji-san? Well, of course, she was beautiful, she was wonderful, she was incredible, but so fast? No, no, no, no. 

Taking a short breath, Eriol smiled, wiping any image, as vivid as they could be, of Daidouji-san and turning half towards the house, he gestured her to come in. "Well, we can't let you on our door step. Please, come inside and enlighten us." He smiled mischievously: if he remembered it, Daidouji-san wasn't one backing out of a challenge. He remembered she used to be cunning, when she was ten. So, almost twenty years after, he wondered if she still was.

Tomoyo hesitated. She was supposed to be at Sakura-chan's in a hour to plan the anniversary party but… "Well, I…" 

But Rei cut her and decided to let her know of his existence. "Kaachan!" He called, excited, his brilliant eyes fixed on Spinel. "I want to play with Black Kero-chan!" He announced, pointing at Spinel, whose fur dressed on its neck and the small winged-guardian snapped. 

"I'm not a black Kero-chan!" 

Rei, surprised by the violence of Spinel's reaction, shrieked. "Kaachan!"

"Suppi-chan!" Nakuru admonished him. Sure she knew the black guardian hated to be categorize the same as Cerberus, but still, reacting this way was really extreme for Spinel, who was always a model of cold-blood and self-control… 

Nakuru's eyes trailed up to her master's face as a devilish suspicion dawned on her. Eriol was staring directly at her, a small smile on his lips. That smile. A smile he had often used when planning schemes. Nakuru rolled her eyes to him: Eriol had influenced Spinel to make him snap, therefore, using this as an excuse to keep Tomoyo-chan longer. Eriol's smile shifted and turned into one of genuine concern, while he squatted down in front of Rei, his left hand quickly, but almost absent-mindedly, reaching for Spinel and holding the squirming guardian in a vice-like fist.

Rei hadn't burst in tears, but they weren't far from falling. The boy had been deeply hurt by the yell and even his mother's best attempts to soothe him was stopping the coming flow.  "Rei-chan! There, there." Tomoyo had knelt next to him and was rubbing his back, hugging him, holding him dearly to her heart. 

Then, Eriol squatted down in front of them, offering Spinel to Rei, smiling  "Here, Rei-chan. You can play with him." Spinel squirmed and moaned pitifully but Eriol either had a trouble with his ears or decided to ignore his guardian. 

"Eriol-sama!" Spinel whined, as Rei's hands closed on him and the little boy rubbed his cheek against Spinel's soft fur.

Eriol straightened, but still looked at Rei, smiling broadly. "He likes being tossed like that." He told him with a wink, demonstrating a little. 

"Really?" Rei asked him. 

"Yup!" Eriol nodded. 

"Eriol-sama…" Nakuru sighed: her master was mad at Spinel for falling asleep so easily on the plane, that was why he had used Spinel, but still… Her master would always do such practical jokes. He was so childish sometimes. 

Eriol looked up at Tomoyo, who had stood up also and smiled at her. "So? What about some iced-tea? We bought some on the way here." He proposed. "We also bought cookies and muffins." 

"Well…" Tomoyo trailed, her hand caressing Rei's soft hair as the boy looked up at her so pleadingly, he knew he wouldn't play with 'Black Kero-chan' if his mother left. 

Eriol waved her excuse away. "The house may be a bit rusty, so we'd better have it outside, in the garden and so Rei-chan can throw Spinel as far as he wants and Spinel will come back, each time." He finished eyeing Spinel who shrank three sizes. 

"Eriol-sama! How cruel…" He whined as Tomoyo finally agreed and Rei jumped in happiness, holding Spinel to his chest. 

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The little group quickly parted the chores to be done among them: Nakuru and Tomoyo to take care of the kitchen, where Nakuru sighed big at the amount of work, while Eriol would find, take out of the storage room and primarily clean the garden table and of course Spinel was to watch over Rei-chan and if necessary play with him, which of course Rei-chan happily forced the poor guardian to. 

Seeing the state of the kitchen and the rest of the house, Tomoyo and Nakuru quickly agreed to only wash what they needed, meaning two plates for the cookies and muffins and five glasses. Nakuru happily asked her details about Rei, thinking that maybe Tomoyo would mind telling her story twice. So, she only bombarded Tomoyo with questions like Rei's age, his birthday and favorite cake. Then, the two set out to find Eriol in the garden, laughing loudly, sprinkling water on a little laughing runaway, Rei holding dearly on Spinel who shrieked and pleaded with his Eriol-sama to stop watering them. 

Upon the scene, Tomoyo sighed loudly but then shook her head. After all, they were in summer, the weather was so hot and his clothes would dry quickly. Besides, it wasn't like that Hiiragizawa-san was pouring water on him and his clothes were only a little wet. Until now. The garden table was still dripping water and Nakuru, annoyed, made it known to her master how bad his handwork was. Smiling sheepishly for being caught, Eriol waved her complaints away and the table was suddenly dry. Tomoyo blinked but Nakuru whined even louder, to which Eriol paid no attention and rather went to shut down the water. 

They all sat, minus Rei and Spinel, at the table. Eriol had chosen to place it under a big, old-looking tree, hiding them from the street or the neighbors, under the cooling shade of the colossal tree. The place seemed unreal: out of time, out of the town, the only sounds those they made. So relaxing, Tomoyo thought. Tomoyo watched over Rei from the corner of her eye while asking Nakuru who tended the garden when they were in England as the garden had obviously been cared for. Nakuru was explaining to her they had hired an old man, lover of trees and birds to take care if it and thanks to that, they needn't to cut electricity and water in the house. Tomoyo was only listening with one ear: Rei was running after Spinel, laughing. The small guardian could have easily outrun the boy, but apparently, he had taken a liking to the boy and let him caught up with him. 

Eriol took a sip of his drink, watching Tomoyo. She was barely listening to Nakuru, who didn't mind, though, watching over her son. She had grown into a beautiful woman. When Rei had put his arms around her neck earlier, he must have had deranged her hair, which had been held in a loose bun: her dark haired were spilling on one of her creamy shoulders, almost caressing the surface of the table and his hands, around the glass, itched to touch them. The sun, playing hide and seek among the leaves of the old tree, when falling on her hair, made them shone quickly purple. Her chin propped in her right hand, her elbow on the table, her laughing eyes on Rei, it was a scene he had already seen somewhere. But, where was the question. Tomoyo laughed to something Nakuru said and her cheeks took a light shade of pink, her dark eyes in the shade lightening up, turning warm purple. Eriol took another sip of his drink quickly. He was attracted to Tomoyo Daidouji. Too long without a girlfriend, he growled inwardly to himself. 

Posing his glass gently on the table, Eriol asked her gently, attracting her attention.  "So, would you explain us, Daidouji-san?" He asked her carefully. Judging by her earlier reaction, it wasn't a painful secret or event as she had laughed, but with Tomoyo Daidouji things weren't always what they seemed to be at first. "To tell you the truth, I'm extremely eager to hear your story." He added with a smile.  

Tomoyo smiled gently to him, seeing his attempts to be considerate. "I thought Sakura-chan had written it to you. Guess that I was wrong." She shrugged, her eyes laughing. Eriol could have groaned aloud: she was going to make the truth hidden a little longer just to tease his nerves. When had she turned in such a tease? Sure, she had always teased Xiaolang gently; but then, it was Xiaolang! 

"He's so cute!" Nakuru suddenly said, she was engrossed in the staring at Rei. "Rei-chan!" She called, standing up and waving at him. "Do you want some strawberries muffins?" Rei stopped and looked at Nakuru and shook his head in denial and quickly resumed his run after Spinel.

Eriol leaned towards Tomoyo and raised an eyebrow. "So?" He asked, impatient. He was the one making secrets.

Tomoyo laughed gently again and took a sip of her drink. Eriol rolled his eyes at her and she started to explain, a small grin on her face. "Every Christmas, the Daidouji company gives toys to a nearby hospital and it's up to mother and I to distribute them." She started and Eriol bit back the question on how the Daidouji Toy Company was involved in the birth of a small boy. Nakuru turned her attention back to Tomoyo and, sitting down, listened quietly.

Tomoyo's face suddenly lost all its warmth, as she remembered, her eyes staring something vague. "That year, the day before we went giving the presents, a woman gave born to her son, but died in labor, due to losing too much blood. The father's child had abandoned the mother and the doctors said it was probably because of the stress, added to the lack of food and rest and general tiredness, as if the woman didn't want to go on, that the labor had been so painful and so resulting in her death." Tomoyo sighed sadly and Nakuru cooed sorrowfully. A small smile suddenly made its way to Tomoyo's lips, even if her eyes remained downcast and sorrow swimming within them. "However, the baby was full of life and healthy." Tomoyo raised her eyes and met Eriol's neutral ones. He knew what she was going to say. "Since he had no family to be given to, he was about to be given to an adoption center. But, then I asked if I couldn't adopt him." Tomoyo smiled broadly.

"Eh! Just like that?" Nakuru asked, her eyes round.

Tomoyo smiled to her and said, her voice livening up. "Mother and I went to see him, the day we went to hospital. He was so…" She paused, looking for her words. "There was something, I don't know, something that had pulled me to him. I asked for his custody and after proving myself, he was given to me."

"You adopted him?" Nakuru said.

"Yes." Tomoyo answered, smiling.

Nakuru blinked and asked quickly. "So, why does he call Touya Papa?"

"Ah, don't worry, Nakuru-san." Tomoyo waved the matter away, with a soft laugh of hers. "In fact, it's natural for a child his age." She explained. "As there aren't any male figures in his environment, he's calling every men he knows Papa. He calls Yukito-san, Yuki-Touchan." 

Nakuru didn't quite believe her. "Really?" 

"Yes." Tomoyo confirmed.

Nakuru pondered a moment, then thrilled. "So cute!" She clasped her hands together, her eyes shiny for a moment, before looking completely miserable and sighing, she added. "But, what an unromantic story…"

Confused, Tomoyo couldn't help but ask her what she meant. "Nakuru-san?" 

"I thought you had run away with Touya and eloped!" Nakuru said quickly, excited.

Tomoyo laughed again lightly. "Hum, no, not really, considering the fact that Touya-kun is still really deeply in love with Yukito-san." She smirked at Nakuru playfully. She remembered Nakuru's ways with the Kinomoto elder brother.

"Ah! No fair!" Nakuru complained loudly. "I wanted to play with him a little!" She decided to pout and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Ah, Nakuru-san, you haven't changed a bit." Tomoyo shook  her head gently.

Nakuru beamed and confirmed, her chin held high in the air. "Nope!"

But, another, who was watching the pair talking, without talking made some quick thinking. Sure, Tomoyo Daidouji was known for her gentle heart and generosity. 

But, that was a bit far. She wouldn't adopt a child just because she saw him once and found him cute in a hospital nursery. There had to be a deeper reason. And then, Eriol remembered. 

He remembered the girl who loved her best friend so much that she stepped aside to let the boy of her best friend's dreams come forth and sweep her off her feet. He remembered and wondered if the girl had been hurt enough to decide she had nothing to hang on. He wondered if the girl had been even aware of it. Eriol smiled to himself, probably not. He thought, she probably didn't know about the void she felt inside of her, a void she only knew existed, but how it came was either a mystery to her, either a carefully avoided at-all-cost place. Probably the latter, he mused. Eriol smiled over the rim of his drink and before taking a sip he said. "So, Daidouji-san is now a mother." Tomoyo flashed him a quick smile, before her attention got attracted to a nearby tree.

Tomoyo quickly spun on her chair and called warningly. "Rei-chan! Not in the trees!"

Eriol looked over her head: Rei, Spinel on his shoulder, was trying to climb up a tree and had successfully made it around half of the way till the first branch, when his mother had forbid him to go further. Apparently, he was pondering what he should do: either jump down and obey his mother, either go on and make it. "He looks like he didn't hear you." Eriol told her.

Tomoyo turned back to him and smiled. "He did and he knows better than to disobey me directly that way." Eriol looked again and saw that Rei had jumped and was sighing, looking up sorrowfully to the branch.

Eriol chuckled. "Daidouji-san, you haven't changed either."

"Huh?" She paused, surprised, a cookie half way to her mouth. If it hadn't been for the incredible control he had on himself, Eriol's eyes would have popped out of their sockets. She looked… She looked… So divine. He thought. And time froze as he stared. Her pink lips, chocolate on the upper own, as if daring him to wipe it away. Damnit, he was attracted to her. Really. 

"Nothing." Eriol shook his head. 

Tomoyo eyed him oddly, before biting in her cookie. "So, I think you are here to celebrate Sakura-chan's and Syaoran-kun's 10th anniversary." She asked Nakuru, running a pink tongue on her lips to wipe away the remaining chocolate. Eriol swallowed hard. He was feeling that his body was slowly but surely reacting to her. His hands around his glass were itching harder and harder to touch the creamy skin and he was wondering if that skin tasted as delicious that it looked, if her lips still had the taste of chocolate on them, if her hair would feel like velvet between his fingers. 

"Indeed."  Nakuru replied, cutting like a knife through his dreaming. Eriol blinked quickly, fortunately unnoticed, and berated himself with some control. He took a breath, a sip of the cooling iced tea and tried to catch on the conversation.

"Oh! That's wonderful!" Tomoyo exclaimed. "Finally, everyone will be here: Chiharu-chan, Rika-chan and Naoko-chan of course, with their respective other halves." She winked at Nakuru who giggled in response. "It will be fun. Nakuru-san, would you like to help me decorate the party?" She asked eagerly.

"Oh, yes, yes, yes." Nakuru beamed. "Where is it going to happen?"

Tomoyo smiled proudly. "At mother's mansion. I hope the weather will be fine, otherwise, we will be forced to do it inside the house and the garden is so beautiful at this time of the year and so much cooler, don't you think?" She sighed, sending a quick prayer that the weather would remained as beautiful. 

"Oh, yes." Nakuru agreed before asking. "Do you have a theme?" 

"A theme?" Tomoyo repeated, before telling her quickly. "I didn't think of that! What a wonderful idea, Nakuru-san!" She said excited. "Oh, are you busy this afternoon, I have to meet Sakura-chan to plan everything." 

"When is the party?" Eriol asked. 

Tomoyo turned to him, as if just remembering his presence. "Oh, in two weeks." She answered.

Eriol's eyes widened a little. "You are a little short on schedule." He smiled deviously. "It surprises me coming from you, Daidouji-san." He snickered a little. How could women always prepare so late? 

"Now, Hiiragizawa-san, be nice." Tomoyo admonished him, making him smile. "I have been so busy between all the collections and Rei." She justified herself before telling them, thrilled. "But, now, I'm officially in holidays and I plan to spend them organizing Sakura-chan's party." 

"And Xiaolang's." Eriol corrected.

"Bah, Syaoran-kun made a face when Sakura-chan told him she wanted a party." Tomoyo shrugged. "Men are such killer joys." She rolled her eyes to him and Eriol felt another smile coming to his lips. 

Nakuru recognized the smile he was sending her, the one he reserved before a good argument and quickly intervene. "I'd love to go with you, Tomoyo-chan." She didn't want another discussion, even a friendly one, on the nature of men and women right now. She wanted to plan the party with Tomoyo-chan and Sakura-chan, that would be much, much, much funnier.

"Hey!" Eriol said, annoyed. "Ruby Moon! You'd abandoned your good master alone in this dusty house to do the cleaning all alone?" 

"Yes! Absolutely!" She positively beamed, that was an added bonus.

Eriol turned back to Tomoyo and shook his head at her. "Daidouji-san, would you please stop contaminate my servants, please." Tomoyo blinked at him, a bit surprised and Eriol pointed at Nakuru with his chin. "See, this one already shows some rebellion." Tomoyo giggled lightly as Nakuru huffed in indignity. "Without talking of the other one whom I ordered to play willingly with your small son and who is actually flying like a rocket as far as it can away from your son." Nakuru and Tomoyo turned around to see that Rei was chasing a wet dripping Spinel around the garden, the water pipe abandoned and opened in the middle of the garden, as if a little someone had decided to give a bath to another one. 

"Oh, Hiiragizawa-san, spare Spinel-san." Tomoyo turned to him again, her eyes pleading. Eriol made a weird flick of his wrist and the water pipe closed on his own, then, satisfied, he turned his eyes to Tomoyo. "Rei-chan can be a little monster and Kero-chan only knows peace when he transforms in his real form." She looked over her shoulder again and sighed.

"Is Rei-chan afraid of him?" Nakuru wondered.

Tomoyo quickly denied. "No, not at all. In fact, Rei-chan adores Kero-chan's real form and whenever he transforms, Rei-chan cuddles him like a big plush toy and promptly falls asleep." 

"Spinel, did you hear?" Eriol asked, not raising his voice. 

"Did he?" Tomoyo asked him, her eyes round. 

Eriol pointed behind her. "He did." Tomoyo turned around to see a gracious black panther, with huge butterfly wings, was standing proudly in the middle of the garden. Rei had stopped running and was staring open mouth at Spinel, then with a squeal, he ran to the magical beast and hugged it tightly. Spinel then made his wings disappear and bent his neck and back enough for Rei to climb on his back, which Rei, after a quick hesitation, did. Carefully, Spinel made his way around the garden.

Rei was riding proudly on Spinel, balancing himself on his back but he was moving to much and he lost his balance and fell on the ground. Tomoyo quickly stood up and ran to him. "Oh, Rei-chan!" She gathered him in her arms and kissed his brow. He had scratched his left knee and his wound was bleeding a little. 

"Kaachan…" Tears quickly appeared in his eyes and threatened to fall.

Spinel transformed back in his small form. "I am very sorry, Daidouji-san."

Tomoyo shook her head at him, smiling sadly. "It's not your fault, Spinel-san, if my little devil is too excited sometimes." She hugged Rei tightly, making her way quickly to the table, where her bag was, at the feet of her chair. She must have some tissue and maybe a band-aid or two. 

Nakuru and Eriol had stood up when Rei had fallen, but had remained near the table and when Tomoyo returned, her precious burden in her arms, Nakuru kneeled at her feet, keeping Rei attracted while Tomoyo rummaged in her bag to find either a tissue or an band-aid. "Do you want a muffin?" Nakuru proposed Rei and the boy sniffled and nodded. Nakuru handed him a muffin, but his hands were scratched too and when he opened them, he turned on his mother's lap to show them to her.

"Kaachan…" He whined again and tears fell. He sniffled again, his tears growing to sobs.

Tomoyo hugged him with one arm, the other still looking through her bag, thinking to herself that was why she needed to tidy it sometimes. "Oh, don't cry, sweetheart." Eriol quickly rounded the table and squatted down in front of Rei, next to Nakuru who was making faces at Rei, trying to stop his tears, while Spinel was rubbing his cheek against his own, trying to comfort him. 

"Hey, Rei-chan, let me show you something." He said, approaching his left hand to his small wounds. With a quick gesture, a flick of his right wrist, while his left hand touched his left knee lightly, he made thousands of bubbles appear, bubbles which created hundreds of little rainbows, in front Rei in awe. Without Rei noticing, Eriol also made his hands and knee wounds disappear, but Tomoyo did and when her eyes met his, she mouthed a thank you, her eyes shining in gratitude. 

A bubble rested on one of Rei extended and unharmed palm and Rei exclaimed loudly. "Whoa! Kaachan! See, see!"

Tomoyo smiled at his exuberance. "Yes, Rei-chan, I saw." He wasn't moving his hand, for fear the bubble would explode. The bubbles all exploded together and Rei clasped his hands, laughing. 

"Again, again!" He asked, excited, jumping from Tomoyo's lap to Eriol's neck. Everyone gasped, Tomoyo jumped on her feet, Nakuru squealed in fear, Spinel fell from Rei's shoulder but avoided the ground thanks to his wings and Rei too the ground again, as Eriol's hands instinctively secured around him. But the sudden weight made him lose his balance and Eriol fell on his bottom.  

"Easy, easy!" He pleaded as Rei, excited, asked for more bubbles, tugging on his neck. 

"Whoa, Eriol-sama!" Nakuru squealed. "Cute!" Eriol actually blushed as Tomoyo nodded with Nakuru. He stood up, holding Rei, who had stopped jumping and tugging on his neck.

"Eriol." Rei suddenly said, surprising everyone again.

Eriol blinked, but quickly recovered. "Yes, Rei-chan, that's my name." He smiled gently to the boy and Rei's face lit up with a beautiful smile, which could have competed with the morning sun. 

"Touchan." He said firmly again. Everyone fell suddenly silent, staring at the dark-haired pair. Eriol was looking at Rei with huge eyes. Rei had just called him 'father', a name he had thought never hear from anyone. A bubble, as light as the bubbles he had earlier created raised in his chest and burst in an explosion of warmth and Eriol blushed again, speechless, maybe for the first time of his life.

"Rei-chan!" Tomoyo said in reprimand but Rei was stubborn and turning in Eriol's arms, he shook his head wildly to his mother.

"No! Touchan!" He said louder, daring his mother to deny him again.

"Rei-chan, stop that." Tomoyo demanded but Rei would have none of it.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" He yelled, shaking his head.

Tomoyo was more embarrassed than angry, but still Rei shouldn't behave like that, what would Hiiragizawa-san think? But, Eriol actually didn't mind. In fact, he was actually honored and somewhere, deep within, he was even feeling grateful than Rei had decided to call him like that. He would never confess it to anyone, not even to his guardians, but he had always been a little jealous of Kinomoto-san, the other half of Clow Reed's soul. Fujitaka Kinomoto had been allowed to grow up, like a human, even without parents, he needn't to hide somewhere in England, in the depths of an old manor. He had been allowed to lead a life, meet a woman, to get married and, most of all, have children.

Eriol remembered when he had felt the first heartbeats of Touya, the first born. He remembered the tears he had tried to blink away, but failed and he had wept in happiness, just like his other himself. But, then, after some time of happiness, he had realized this little bundle of pure joy and happiness wasn't his to rejoice. A freezing water bucket. Then, had come the second light, a small daughter and before being the next mistress, Eriol had rejoiced her simple coming to life. Just for her and not for her future mission. Children, something he had never thought to have and now, in his arms, right now, another warm light was calling him 'father'. Not because he really was the biological father, but because Rei wanted to call him like that, to consider him like that. 

"It's okay, Daidouji-san." He said, looking gently down at Rei in his arms. 

Rei smiled again, staring up at Eriol. "Touchan, Touchan, Touchan, Touchan, Touchan!"

"Yes, yes." Eriol answered. Something had happened, something weird, something unexpected. A surprise that was called, but it was more than a surprise, almost a miracle in his eyes, which, behind his glasses, started to water. He bent his head and hugged Rei gently, who returned it easily. 

"Cute!!!" Nakuru squealed somewhere, breaking the mood.

"Ruby Moon, stop that." Eriol snapped, but Nakuru knew how embarrassed he really was to be caught like that by his guardians and by someone else, displaying his emotions like that. 

Tomoyo apologized again. "I'm sorry, Hiiragizawa-san, it's so embarrassing. And thank you for…" She added with a smile gesturing towards Rei's knee. Eriol was grateful to her as she acted she hadn't seen the sudden burst of emotions which had raised in him.  

Eriol smiled sheepishly. "Well, I don't know if I really did you a favor for that, but really, it's alright, Daidouji..." A pair of small hands actually slapped his mouth and he gasped in refusal at the pain. But Rei didn't pay attention. 

"No, Kaachan." He said firmly. 

"Rei-chan…" Tomoyo sighed, he always did that. She sat down heavily and prayed Hiiragizawa-san wouldn't understand.

Eriol pried Rei's fingers from his mouth, while the little boy said, tranquil, locking his dark eyes with Eriol's dark blue ones. "Kaachan is Kaachan, Touchan."

Eriol frowned, not understanding what Rei meant but he nodded anyway. "Yes, your Kaachan is your Kaachan." Tomoyo looked aside. Hiiragizawa-san hadn't understand that Rei didn't want him to call her so formally. Again, she wondered if she could get Yukito-san to smack Touya-kun for teaching such things to her son. Sure, it was well-meant but Rei was always pushing it too far.

Tomoyo sighed and turned her eyes back to Eriol and Rei. "Well, I'm sorry." She told him quietly and quickly explained. "He usually doesn't like strangers much, but he seems to like Spinel and took a liking to you, too, Hiiragizawa-san." 

Eriol smiled and only said. "Please, Eriol."

"What?" Tomoyo didn't see what his name had to see with Rei…

Eriol smiled again and repeated. "Eriol, after all, we've know each other for a long time and you are one of the few who actually know the real me." Tomoyo sighed, nodding recalling the trials and the cards, Sakura-chan and the costumes, her whole childhood. 

"The real you?" Tomoyo said wryly, before adding with a smile. "I'm not so sure about that." She said following him with her eyes, as he moved to sat down back to his earlier seat, Rei on his lap. 

"So, Tomoyo-san…" Eriol paused. "You don't mind, don't you?" Tomoyo looked up at him: she was handing Rei the muffin Nakuru had given him earlier, but he had been unable to take it, as his hands were hurting him. 

Tomoyo smiled a little. "No… Not at all." She said, tilting her head on the side. Spinel flew gently over to Rei and sat on the small boy lap, rubbing his cheek against Rei's ones, making him giggles as Spinel's fur tickled his nose. 

Rei tried to crumble the too big muffin for his mouth, but failed. Almost without looking at it, like he had been doing it all his life, Eriol reached for it and cut a smaller piece for Rei to eat. Rei accepted quickly and munched on it, while Eriol cut several other little bits, which he placed on his open palm, in front of Rei. Meanwhile, he asked Tomoyo, who was staring bewildered at the facility Eriol was making Rei eat while she or her mother would fight a war with him, every dinner. "Good, then Tomoyo-san, are you still intending to steal my guardian to Sakura-chan's house, this afternoon?"

Tomoyo looked up quickly as his voice broke through her staring. "Yes, she could be of a great help."

Eriol smiled sheepishly. "Then, you have to promise coming helping us cleaning this house." Tomoyo rolled his eyes at his deal when Nakuru whined. 

"Why didn't you order a maid, Eriol-sama?" She complained. 

Eriol turned to her and told her. "Because we left in a kind of hurry, Ruby Moon, or don't you remember?" He mostly remembered that they had the choice between leaving the very night of the day they had received Sakura's letter or the day after, on which Eriol and Spinel had agreed, but Nakuru being high, had decided they would leave by the night fly and booked them on that flight rather than on the next like she was supposed to do. He also remembered the mad rush they had been then sent into to pack. 

"Yes, but…" Nakuru started to whine. 

"Hurry?" Tomoyo picked up, a bit surprised. Sakura-chan had said she had sent her letter ages ago. 

"We received Sakura-chan's letter yesterday." Eriol informed her. 

"That Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo exclaimed, smiling. "She always forget how much times it takes to get to England."

They all laughed lightly and Eriol waved it away. "It doesn't matter, Tomoyo-san." Then, he added slyly. "Besides, I would have trouble explaining a flying cat and a butterfly girl to a maid."

"So true." Tomoyo nodded, taking a sip of her drink.

"Who's a cat?" Spinel exclaimed outraged.

"I could have cancelled my wings!" Nakuru retorted. 

Eriol beautifully ignored them both and asked Spinel. "So, Spinel, what are we going to do, this afternoon?" Spinel was currently tucked under Rei's arm, who was eating the last muffin crumbles in Eriol's hand. 

"I don't know but I don't think Rei-chan is going to let me go, anytime in the near future." Spinel replied. 

"I'm sorry, Spinel-san." Tomoyo apologized.

"Don't worry, Tomoyo-san, Spinel likes him, in fact." Eriol told her, winking. 

"Eriol-sama!" Spinel protested and Tomoyo giggled. Rei hugged Spinel again, playing with his tail, quietly on Eriol's lap, giggling from time to time as Spinel would brush his tail against Rei's nose to tease him.

"I want to stay with Touchan." Rei suddenly said and silence followed his quiet declaration. Eriol looked in awe at the small boy. Tomoyo had told Nakuru earlier he was only two years and a half but he was talking extremely well for his age. Eriol didn't know much about babies, but Rei seemed quite advanced for his age. 

"Rei-chan." Tomoyo said with a warning tone.

"No." Rei answered, stubborn. 

"Rei-chan!" Tomoyo wondered how she would pull out of this one. 

"Quite a character, isn't he?" Eriol remarked and Tomoyo sighed aloud. 

"Yes, he discovered the 'no' a little too early for my taste." 

Rei beamed on Eriol's lap: he knew they were talking about him, even though he didn't understand everything. But, one thing he knew, he had won this one against his mother. Tomoyo frowned at him, how would she drag him to Sakura-chan's?  "I don't mind babysitting him, Tomoyo-san." Eriol suddenly said. 

"Eck!" Nakuru coughed in her drink, she had been sipping on. "Eriol-sama, you're all right?" She screamed aloud. 

Annoyed, Eriol shot her a look, but Nakuru only stood up and ran to his side, putting her hand quickly to his forehead to feel his temperature. Eriol glared down at her, but she didn't pay attention, saying to Tomoyo. "Besides, I don't think Spinel is very keen at seeing Cerberus, right now."

"Oh, no, he will try to shove sweets down my throat again!" Spinel loudly confirmed. 

"Kero-chan?" Rei asked, looking at Eriol, on whom Nakuru was fussing. 

Eriol tried to bat Nakuru's hand away from his forehead, while his other was still open in front of Rei. "Yes, Rei-chan, Kero-chan." He confirmed. 

"But, I…" Tomoyo hesitated. That could solve all her problems: with Rei between her legs, she would have never been able to plan this party as she wanted to, but…

"It's no problem, really, Tomoyo-san." Eriol said again. 

"Well, I don't want…"

Spinel cut her, as if they wouldn't take her excuses.  "We won't be able to stay here, though. The house is all dirty." He informed his master. 

Eriol nodded in acknowledgement. "We could stay in the garden, the day is too hot to stay in a house, anyway." He shrugged lightly and looked at Tomoyo. After all, the decision was all hers. 

Tomoyo eyed them, then suddenly an idea popped out of nowhere in her head.  "Oh! I've got a wonderful idea." She said, happily, clasping her hands. 

"Tomoyo-san, why do I feel suddenly scared?" Eriol said wryly. 

"Oh, come on, now, Eriol-san." She smiled to him sweetly and Eriol told himself he wasn't sure he liked that smile. "Why don't you, the three of you, come to stay at my home, with Mother, for a few days, until we can clean this huge house, since you won't be able to clean it all today."

Eriol was astonished, he hadn't expected that at all. He had been expecting at her to ask them to come with her at Sakura to plan the party with her and Sakura, something Eriol really didn't any part in. Planning a party with three, if not more, excited women… More like a living nightmare. Actually, now that he thought about it, accepting her offer sounded really tempting. Their house was really dirty, he wasn't, really wasn't feeling like cleaning it.  "But, what about…" Eriol started looking down at Spinel. 

Tomoyo put her elbows on the table, her chin in her cupped hands. "Do you really think Mother doesn't know?" She asked dryly. "With Rei-chan always blabbering about Kero-chan zooming around his head?"

The last objection lifted, Nakuru let her opinion known and she pleaded. "Oh, please, please, please, please, please, please…" She repeated, doing her best puppy eyes at Eriol. Puppy eyes Eriol had never been able to stand.

"Ok, ok. Stop." He gave in quickly. That was how Nakuru had talked him into turning her into a full woman, after that they had left Tomoeda for the first time. 

"We go?" Nakuru insisted, jumping on Eriol's neck.

"Ruby Moon!" Eriol protested. He really should tell her to stop doing that. 

"Ah, sorry, Eriol-sama." Nakuru quickly said, waving her hands. 

"So, I take this as a yes." Tomoyo intervened slyly.

"Wait, Tomoyo-san, I don't…" Eriol started to protest again, but Tomoyo didn't accept it, like he did a little earlier. Payback time, Tomoyo told herself. 

"Nonsense, Eriol-san. Besides, you are not going to my house as a guest, but as a hired babysitter for Rei-chan, as I will have a lot to prepare for Sakura-chan's party."

"Eh?" Was all he could say. 

Tomoyo smiled and explained quickly. "I didn't know how I would manage to prepare this party like I wanted it, because I would have had Rei-chan with me all the time and I can't leave him everyday in Yukito-san's care. After all, I think he would manage to have a much more pleasurable time, now that Touya-kun is also in vacations." Nakuru giggled and Spinel sighed. Rei looked up and stood up on Eriol's legs. Eriol cringed a little but secured Rei by placing his hands around his waist, while Rei reached out to play with his glasses. 

"Hum. I heard Yue was a teacher, now." Rei took off his glasses and turned them carefully in his hands, placing them on his nose. Nakuru giggled when the too big glasses slipped a little and made faces to him to make him giggle. 

Tomoyo's breathing stopped. He was so handsome. Really. His features were so thin, almost like some of a girl. His dark hair and now that Rei had taken off the glasses, the dark blue eyes. So beautiful. He had changed since their first meeting. They all had, but Eriol in more way than another. He had lost that melancholic almost sad look in his eyes, it had been replaced by an eagerness to live. Sometimes, when he looked at his guardians, a gentle look was playing in his eyes. Oh Eriol loved them, more than he maybe admitted to himself. Tomoyo blinked and told herself to take a hold on herself, that wasn't the time nor the place and he was waiting for an answer. 

"Yes, a great one." Tomoyo confirmed, looking at Rei. Eriol reached out to take his glasses back and after placing them back where they belonged, he sat Rei once more while the boy and Nakuru made faces at each others giggling together. "He is loved by all his students and last year he got more chocolate than Touya-kun did at office for Valentine Day, last year. Touya-kun was a bit grumpy the following days." She added with a giggle. That giggle won him. 

Smiling to himself, Eriol decided. Why not, after all, he was attracted to her, she was gorgeous, had spirit, her son was wonderful and she also had a spark in her eyes that he wished to see again. A spark he had seen so long ago, a spark directed to someone else, but it had made an incredible impression on him. 

"So, are we going to baby-sit?" Spinel asked his master.

Eriol looked down at him, first, then locked his eyes with Tomoyo, who actually gaped at the bluntness of his actions, as if… As if… As if telling her, he also out for something else, something else described in his eyes, something that pinned her. "I guess so, Spinel." Breaking off the eye-lock with Tomoyo, he rolled his eyes suggestively. "Besides, I have to give my almost-son and former guardian a bit of privacy sometimes." Tomoyo giggled at his air of false importance he gave himself and he chuckled with her. Something, she found quite… pleasing. Shaking her head, she took a small breath, calling herself silly, she told them. 

"Well, I'll call Mother to have rooms arranged for you and someone to pick up your luggage. So, why don't we all go to Sakura-chan's?" She proposed, to the horror of Spinel.

"Eh… Eriol-sama… Please…" Spinel turned almost teary eyed and whined. Rei, in order to make faces with Nakuru, had released him and Spinel had flown to the top of Rei's head, and like he did Eriol, wrapped his tail carefully around Rei's head, to secure his position and had sat down. Rei was still laughing with Nakuru, sitting on the grass: she was mimicking animal to make him laugh.

Eriol considered his small guardian and nodded. "Hum, Tomoyo-san, if you don't mind, Spinel and I will just walk you there and after we will go to the park." He added to himself, he really didn't want to plan the party with three excited women. Really not.

"I promise Kero-chan won't touch you, Spinel-san." Tomoyo also said, to which Spinel snorted. 

"And how exactly, do you intend to realize this miracle?" He asked her dryly. Cerberus was fond of food, sweet food was like a dream to him, lots of sweet food was heaven on earth. So, whenever, him, Spinel, who was drunk with a sweets, was around, Cerberus would smirk and together with Nakuru would try to choke him with sweets.

"I am a much better cook than Sakura-chan for sweets." Tomoyo's announcement  was followed by a revered silence.

Spinel finally turned to Eriol and shrugged. "Then, I guess, we can go, Eriol-sama."

Eriol sighed. Well, he could always have some fun and he grinned standing up, holding Rei. "Let's go see Xiaolang, then." Nakuru thrilled, snatched Spinel, shoved him in her bag and danced her way to the house, juggling with three glasses, while Tomoyo took the plates and the other two glasses, and Eriol the bottle, Rei still in his arms. 

"Eriol-san?" Tomoyo called sweetly behind him.

"Yes?" Eriol turned back, innocently.

"Be nice."

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The whisper made the cat-like creature tingled and Spinel looked up quickly in wonder and distrust. "Eh, Suppi." 

"Who's Suppi?" The usual answer came, but Nakuru paid no attention to it, as her gaze was fixed on the couple in front of them: Eriol was still holding Rei, who was talking a mile a second, while Tomoyo laughed lightly and smiled a lot.

Nakuru nodded towards them. "Do you see what I see?" She whispered, excited.

Spinel sighed and answered on the same tone, a little more ironic than hers, though. "Of course, I do, moron."

"They'd be great together, no?" Nakuru asked him, too used to pay attention to the sarcasm, and this time, she turned her gaze to the creature in her pocket, her eyes shining.

Spinel scowled. He perfectly knew that look by heart. "Ruby Moon, don't start with that." He would try to fend off her matchmakers attempts, but he had to say that the other guardian was right: they did look good together.

"But, isn't it our duty to make sure our master is happy?" Nakuru pressed urgently. "You know as well as I that he's still pinning after mistress Kaho." She went on.

Spinel considered the things and bent a little. She was right on the happiness point and the whole failed and disastrous plan with Mistress Kaho, but he wasn't too keen on a matchmakers' plan. "Hum." 

Nakuru, despite the obvious hesitation her companion was showing didn't give up and pressed her point. "Don't you think it's about time he let go?" She sensed she had a point and she turned it to her advantage.

Spinel sighed: Nakuru was right. Their master's happiness was their duty, but he still had doubts. "Then, what about her?" He asked Nakuru.

A silence followed his question, before Nakuru asked him for confirmation. "Tomoyo-chan?" She frowned.

"Hum." Spinel nodded, deep in thoughts. Thoughts he was sure his master had already thought of.

"What do you mean, Suppi?" Nakuru asked, interrupting his line of thought.

In annoyance, Spinel rolled his eyes at her. "Moron, do you adopt a child just because you feel a string to it?" Then shaking his little head quickly, he kept on, without letting the time to Nakuru to answer. "No, there has to be a deeper reason."

"But, why?" Nakuru was confused. Spinel was right, but, couldn't Tomoyo-chan did what she had done purely for the reason she had confessed?

Spinel frowned and crossed his little paws in front of his chest. "I don't know, maybe to have something." He mumbled.

"Suppi?" Nakuru asked and Spinel gave in.

"Let's see how they interact for a week, then we'll see if we do anything." He told her and Nakuru positively beamed.

"Yes, sir!" She cried out happily, making Tomoyo, Eriol and Rei turn back to watch them in wonder.

Spinel shook his head and only whispered. "Moron."

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author's note: well, here's the first, what do you think? They're all 28, so I can't make them still act like a bunch of teenaged kids, now can I? Anyway, I had fun writing this part and preparing the next. I hope you'll like it and tell me what you've thought of my newest creation. 

Well, there's an OAV which is called "Read or Die", well, my motto would rather be "Read and Review" (yes, I know, that was extremely lame, but I'm tired, it's 02:41 in the morning. But please review, anyway!)

Hugs and kisses, mikim.


	3. Walking down the street

Darker than Ebony

By mikim

Chapter 002. Walking down the streets 

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Standard disclaimers apply.

I know it's not a long chapter, but it had to be written, I really hope you'll like it and forgive me for the long wait. 

Mikim

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Eriol narrowed his eyes. He didn't like, really didn't like at all the smug smile on Nakuru's face and the pensive-looking face Spinel was pulling whenever he glanced his and Tomoyo's ways. 

Not for the first time, Eriol asked himself again why he agreed to place his two guardians under the mind spell, the only spell which could prevent him from wandering in their thoughts at will, with or without their agreements. Now, he could share their thoughts but only if his guardians gave him access to them. When Nakuru had presented him that request, he had thought of it as another move of her "teenage revolution" as Spinel had put it. 

All of the sudden, the pink-haired guardian had declared that she wanted to be a full girl, with the bad sides as well as the good sides, that she wanted a private room, a private telephone line, that she wasn't Eriol's nor Spinel's babysitter, that she would go out at night, maybe stay over a friend, bring friends home, and on and on. 

Eriol glumly remembered the fatherly way he had felt when Nakuru had started bringing males friends home. All of them had been five, six even ten years older than he had been but he had still felt like they were touching his daughter. Then had come the real first broken heart, the tears, curses and vain promises of never falling in love again. Spinel and himself had suffered in silence for maybe a month or two, before that one day, Spinel sat up next to his comrade and stayed there, for hours, not moving an inch, not saying anything, just being there. 

Finally Nakuru, touched by his kind gesture, took him in her arms and things went well all over again. She had matured again and her ancient jolly character came back quickly, her bubbly laughter quickly rang again in the old Reed Mansion.

Eriol threw a casual-looking glance again over his shoulder to see if his guardians were still following. The five of them were walking smoothly down the road to the park, close to Sakura's old house, Eriol, holding Rei on his shoulders, his large hands holding loosely, but ready to tighten, the boy's ankles, while Rei had carefully placed his hands on Eriol's forehead and Tomoyo leading the way, Spinel in Nakuru's pocket following, a few feet behind. 

They had agreed that Eriol, Spinel and Rei would stay in the park, while Nakuru and Tomoyo would rush to Sakura's and prepare the anniversary party. In the park, Eriol and Spinel would let Rei play till exhaustion, then pick him up and lead him to Sakura's where he would sleep peacefully without disturbing the female plans and so, Eriol would be able to catch up things with Syaoran, Spinel with Kero.

Nakuru seemed to be thrilled by something while Spinel appeared deep in thoughts and the combination of the two only meant trouble. For once, Spinel wasn't grumbling of being pocketed by Nakuru, while the latter wasn't playing with him, meaning they were together in whatever evil scheme. Scheme he highly felt coming for him. Eriol frowned lightly again. Till Rei's little foot connected with his chin. 

Rei was content so high in the air, looking from left to right as quickly as he could to see everything, even if the road was familiar to him, the new height was like a new world to him. A bird from the nearest tree suddenly took its flight while Rei looked at it and surprised, the boy jumped a little, knocking his left foot with Eriol's chin. 

"Ouch!" Eriol yelped, more surprised than hurt. Involuntarily, his right hand flew to his chin, but his left hand tightened around Rei's ankle, preventing him from falling. Tomoyo, at his right side, immediately, looked up, horrified and asked if he was all right and reprimanding Rei altogether. Eriol quickly assured her he was alright, just been a little surprise at Rei's unexpected kick. Tomoyo raised a delicate eyebrow, while they resumed their walk.

Looking down apologetically, Rei smoothed down gently Eriol's bangs, while Eriol looked up at him, winking, smiling, showing him that no harm was done. Not even paying attention to his mother's rants, Rei nodded and went back to his watching of  his environment from his new point of his view, placing his little hands delicately on Eriol's forehead, mindful of the older man's eyes and glasses. 

Tomoyo sighed and looked lower to Eriol's smiling face. "And I thought you liked surprises."

"I do, painless ones, though." Eriol looked down at her, locking his eyes with hers and she answered with an amused smile. Tomoyo had grown too, like Nakuru, but he didn't fatherly at all towards the raven-haired beauty. Not a little bit. He was awed by her ravishing look, her aura of mystery and her melancholic purple eyes. Oh, he knew her eyes could lit up with the most gorgeous happy flame. He had witnessed in while she had looked down her little boy. But melancholy, he recognized it now, was always lurking in the depths of her mystic eyes. 

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            Her velvet-like hair had finally broken free from the loose bun she had captured them in and while they walked, she had been running her delicate fingers in her black mane to give it a little order, humming unconsciously under breath. Checking a last time Rei from his shoulders with a quick glance, Tomoyo resumed her walk and Eriol followed quickly. He could hear behind his two guardians arguing, finding finally something to pull each others hair. Shrugging mentally at them, he quickly walked and accorded his pace to Tomoyo's when he reached her side. 

Rei was babbling over his head, calling his mother to show her something he saw and when she laughed at his attics to shoo away a bit lazy tawny cat, her whole face lit up like a soft candlelight in a warm summer evening. And took his breath away. A small smile reached his lips. He already had been attracted to several women, before, but never of this force. He liked her laugh already and he knew her cunning ways from childhood. He hadn't seen her in so many years and she had turned into a woman behind his back. 

All of the sudden, she started to sing a little for Rei, a melody he didn't recognized at first, then he clasped his hands and started to hum with her. Probably because Tomoyo was singing continually around him, but Rei was surprisingly enough singing quite well. The three of them finally turned left and walked into a more animated street. Like they were strolling in their own world, Eriol didn't notice immediately the sudden changes.

A few children were running wild on the streets, between their houses, their parents' watchful eyes locked on their backs. A festival was about to be celebrated the very night but the children had already begun partying, playing with water guns for some, tag for others, sitting and giggling for a little group of girls, being pirates for another group of boys. Shrieks and laughter resonated happily in the street. 

But Eriol didn't really pay attention. Rei was explaining something to him, something really important judging by the serious little face and he had to bent his head backwards a little to look at Rei, who was peering down. 

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But another pair did. They did pay attention, seeing what the dark-haired heads couldn't. Nakuru grinned down at Spinel in her pocket and the small guardian smiled back, rapidly taken by his comrade-in-felony's plan. Maybe it was worth a try. Nakuru beamed happily when Spinel nodded once to her and if not for Spinel's claws planted in her skin through the material of her shirt, she would have danced out of joy. 

But Spinel added for himself a little prayer. Not that he feared Eriol, but Tomoyo. The girl was cunning, true, but so many layers rested around her heart, so many, perhaps too many secrets and pent-up feelings were locked in those purple orbs of hers. And still, the question of whether or not she adopted the small Rei to have something in her life still hanged silently in the back of his mind, unresolved but not forgotten. Those secrets around her weren't maybe supposed to be stirred but Spinel feared they could hurt his master, therefore, the small black winged guardian decided to investigate. It would difficult with Tomoyo, she was as clever as his master, but who paid attention to a silent winged-cat like creature? He would have first to observe her, to learn of her gestures, of her masks in hope to find a creak in her armour, big enough for him to make sure these secrets wouldn't hurt his master. Like she had adopted Rei because she had nothing in her life, because the one she loved so dearly loved another… 

Spinel frowned slowly and watched the back of the woman. No longer a child, a woman, he told himself, with woman's secrets, with woman's responsibilities and woman's heart. And woman's masks.

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Many others did notice too Tomoyo, her son and the tall dark-haired stranger with her, holding her son. They didn't have Spinel's doubts but they knew her. Who didn't know the Heiress of the Daidouji Company? She had been dubbed with so many names, going to Porcelain Doll to Ice Princess. She had never been spotted, like so many of her fellow young heirs or heiresses with someone else in a compromising situation, nor had she ever been spotted with a man or a woman, as one of  the rumours on her had said. No one ever had, it was a first and of course, being the Ice Princess, she had to do strong: walking the streets with an unknown man, dark-haired and fair skin, just like her son. 

When Tomoyo had adopted Rei, a lot of people had speculated that in fact Rei was her natural son but the woman who had died in labour was her surrogate mother and Tomoyo… And the rumours went on and wild till Tomoyo's mother had frowned and tapped her angry little foot and the rumours had died down rather quickly. 

But that, was brand new and it brought fuel to that precise rumour. What if the young man actually was Daidouji Rei's father. As the pair walked past their houses, people started whispering about them. Who could miss them? They had both an ethereal beauty, making the men tender and the women long. They both bore a mysterious aura, they both evolved in another sphere, far from the real world, they seemed like angels gracing the soil of their presences.

And so people whispered, gossiped about that mysterious man who seemed to like Rei as much as the boy seemed to like him. They wondered who he was, they wondered how he could talk and make the Ice Princess broke into giggles, they wondered for how long he had known the Princess. 

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Tomoyo was giggling at Eriol's story. He had been telling her one of Nakuru and Spinel's biggest fight when they broke in laughter. Warmth shone in Eriol's eyes and it surprised her. Back in her memory, she remembered that each times his eyes would shone with such warmth and kindness only occurred when Sakura was around or the professor Mizuki. Never when she was around. It startled her and she, without letting it out, turned her head slightly to the side, to avoid his eyes and doing so, her eyes fell on a small group of giggling females, whispering quickly and glancing in hers and Eriol's way. It froze her to the bones. And they would know that Eriol would live in her house. They would know and giggle more and gossip even more. Tomoyo clenched her teeth, frowning a little. Rumours about her, she didn't mind, but when it involved Rei, it was another matter. Carefully, Tomoyo tucked this information in her mind, so that she would tell her mother and together they would prepare for the rumours and shield Rei. 

Tomoyo had never truly understood the fascination people seemed to have in her. It all started with her voice, how marvellous it was, then it shifted to her looks and grades, how beautiful and smart she was, it changed after to her position, how rich she would one day be and finally to her love life or therefore lack of. But never before had she allowed anything about Rei. That could prove to be a little more difficult to protect Rei. 

"Tomoyo-san?" Eriol's voice cut like a knife in her dark thoughts.

Tomoyo shook her head, upset at herself for letting herself been caught like this, something she had always tried to avoid. "Uh? I'm sorry, Eriol-san."

"What's wrong?" He pressed, both his and Rei's eyes fixed on her. Tomoyo looked up to her little angel and her hand raised to caress his face, making him smile and in response, she smiled to him.

"Nothing." She finally answered Eriol.

Eriol smiled when Tomoyo looked down. But it was a ruffian smile. It brought a smile to her lips, an amusing smile, a measured smile.

"What?" She asked cautiously as they kept on walking.

"Liar." He whispered just loud enough for her to hear. Tomoyo's eyes widened lightly that he had caught her and he smirked. "Tsst, tsst, Tomoyo-san," he said, shaking his head, as if he was disappointed, "you can't teach tricks to the old monkeys…" He let his voice trail and locking his eyes with hers, he let his gaze slowly slid purposely on their entourage. He knew.

"It doesn't bother you?" Tomoyo hesitated. Of course, she had almost forgotten, that man was the other half of Sakura's father, who rarely, if not never let something pass by him. 

Eriol smiled gently and shook his head lightly. "I'm used to them. However, mine were about a so young boy and a so old woman." 

Tomoyo put her hand on his arm, as they walked, and let her hand fall back, a silent compassion. He smiled again and shrugged. "It's in the past."

"Doesn't mean it doesn't hurt." She answered.

"How true." Eriol let his eyes glance around. In fact, he had only noticed when he had caught in the corner of his eye, a little frown coming to her pale brow. It had surprised him and he had looked around in the direction of her gaze, behind him, through Nakuru's eyes. Then, through Spinel's sharp ears, he heard the gossips and had finally turned his attention back to Tomoyo.

How dared they to talk without knowing, he thought. Do they know how cruel they are right now? Probably not. Do they even phantom what they are doing to other people's hearts? Certainly not, he thought darkly. Otherwise, Kaho wouldn't have fallen into depression and finally… He shook his head mentally. He shouldn't start brooding over this again, he thought to himself angrily. 

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            In the tensed silence that followed, when they finally left the animated street to the one leading to the park, none of the two spoke, lost in their dark thoughts but then an angel took pity on them.

            Rei, recognizing the street, started to get excited again and with his little arms, cupped Eriol's face and jerked his head up so that they could look at each other in the eyes. "Touchan!" He yelled. "Quick! Quick!" Rei pressed and Eriol laughed at his attics. Rei's face cracked with a smile and unexpectedly bent a little and kissed gently Eriol's forehead, surprising both adults.

            Eriol stopped walking and stared up at Rei but then the little boy turned his attention to his mother and extended his arms to her. Giving in his silent plea, Tomoyo reached out for him and he almost jumped from Eriol's shoulders to his mother's arms. Rei then squeezes Tomoyo's neck, planted a quick kiss on her cheek and squirmed his way down and out of her arms. Then, he took off to the park, leaving the adults looking at him run on his short strong legs. 

"Rei!" Tomoyo yelled. "Wait! Little monster." Eriol broke into a run after the runaway boy, laughing at his attics and Tomoyo quickly followed, running too. There were no risks for Rei for being hit by a car, as the street was desert, but who knew? Still they ran after Rei, uncaring of the two surprised gasps behind them, from Nakuru and Spinel, neither caring for the people in the park, seeing them laughing and Eriol catching Rei by his middle, lifting the boy high in the air, while he giggled, Tomoyo behind, wishing she had a camera. 

            To them, it looked only like a pure moment of fun, to others, two in particular, it looked like a family reunion.

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Here it is, the long awaited chapter 002. Hope it was worth the wait, if not, then leave me a review and I'll store each of your advices to make it better in the next chapter.

It doesn't mean that if this part was good don't leave a review. Rather the opposite! I love reviews, it's wonderful to open the mail box and see a lot of reviews coming! It's so great, it makes me feel really good!

Oh, please forgive me for the long wait.

Love and peaches

mikim


	4. Preparations

Darker than Ebony.

By mikim

Chapter 3. Preparations.  

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Standard disclaimers apply. I wish I owned them, I could buy myself some clothes, then… But Rei is mine!

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Sakura stared through her windows, not believing her own eyes. Somebody, someone from her past as the Card Captor was happily chatting with her best friend. The girl had changed quite a lot from her souvenirs, but then, so had she. Nakuru had grown, turning into a full woman, her body taking the shape and characterises of a female. While she had fill up too, Tomoyo seemed still out of time next to Nakuru. The pink-haired woman wasn't old, she looked not a day after her 25th birthday, but Tomoyo had always looked like the perfect porcelain doll, out of reach. The Ice Princess indeed, frozen in her perfection, gazed upon but untainted, untouched, unreal. This time, the nickname suited her just fine, even if, Sakura thought it carried an unfair message. 

As Nakuru and Tomoyo came closer, chatting quickly, a small smile gracing Tomoyo's lips while Nakuru's enthusiasm expressed itself by her wide gestures, Sakura remembered her childhood. 

How often had she seen Tomoyo coming to her house, through the windows? And now, in her childhood home, here she lived with her husband, while her father lived with Tomoyo's mother, in the Daidouji Mansion. 

A quick smile crept on Sakura's lips. How astonished Tomoyo's mother, Sonomi, had been when her father, Fujitaka, had asked her the permission to move in. Sakura shook her head lightly at the souvenir of the heated argument, on Sonomi's part anyway, and the placid answers her father had offered her. But then, a sly remark on Fujitaka's part, on how his late wife would be upset if her husband lived with his married daughter, and how he would imposed on the young couple happiness and how happiness was important in his eyes, more when it was his daughter, Nadeshiko's own blood and Sonomi quickly gave up afterwards.

A smile shining like a thousands suns on her lips, Sakura whirled around and yelled for her husband name.

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Syaoran, who had been on the phone with his mother, when his beloved wife's screech reached him, dumped unceremoniously the receiver and started, panicked in the direction of the yell. He hadn't crossed the doorframe when a small and warm body jumped at his neck, laughing merrily. Instinctively, Syaoran secured his hold on Sakura, while she laughed. "Eriol-kun is back!" 

Syaoran's world went black and sweat ran down his back. He half-listened to his wife happy chatter and he could hear his mother's anxious calls from the dangling receiver. His personal nemesis was back. He hadn't thought Devil Spawn would actually come. Usually, when Sakura and he organised such parties, they, of course invited him, but he would only send back a thanks note, telling how sorry he was not to be able to come. Syaoran had been waiting for the thank you note, even scaring the old postman a couple of days before when he didn't find any English stamps on the letters he had collected, but he hadn't really given up hope… Until now. 

Syaoran sighed heavily and absentmindedly returned Sakura's hug. Well, if it made Sakura happy of having Devil Spawn at the party, then he would bear it.

"The things I do for you…" Syaoran sighed heavily. Even this crazed party was another sacrifice on his part. He absolutely hated this kind of parties, where Sakura and he would be at the centre of attention. He got it enough when he went back to his familial estate. Syaoran looked down at the small figure, bubbling with joy on his chest and sighed. There was nothing he could refuse her. 

Noticing his faraway gaze on her, Sakura called his name. "Syaoran?" But her husband only smiled at her and reached with his left arm for the dangling receiver.

"Mother?" He asked, his right arm still around his wife. "Sorry. I'll explain later. Yes, call you tonight. Bye." Syaoran hung back and slid his right arm from her waist to her shoulders, while Sakura looked up at him curiously. Which only emitted another sigh from Syaoran. 

The front door suddenly bust open and Syaoran frowned. Apart from Sakura, her father, her brother and himself, there was only one person who had a key to their home. And Tomoyo Daidouji would never open a door like that. But, as he was ready to tell his piece of mind to the intruder, a shriek stopped him. "Sakura-chan!!!" The voice was way too high to be Touya's or even Kero-chan's. Rei-chan hadn't managed to say Sakura's name and, hell, he only know one bloody person to sent shivers of dread up his spine with a mere shriek.

Unfortunately for Syaoran, when the door had opened, he had unconsciously placed his body in front of hers to protect her. But when Nakuru came flying into the room, since he wasn't the one she wanted to hug, Nakuru only slammed him into the nearest wall.  

Sakura returned the hug and they both set into a small happy dance. "Nakuru-chan! It's been so long! Too long!"

"Yeah!" Nakuru agreed. "I should have used my puppy eyes on master before!"

Syaoran grumbled and rubbed his head, which had painfully met the wall, until a pale hand entered his field of vision. Following the hand up the arm, he met the shining eyes of Daidouji Tomoyo, his wife's best friend. "Hello, Syaoran-kun."

Syaoran only grumbled back.  "Why did you have to bring her?"

Tomoyo only laughed her pearled laugh. "That's not really nice, Syaoran-kun. Here." And Syaoran took her extended hand and she pulled him on his feet.

"I can't believe he actually turned you into a real girl…" Syaoran sighed, when Nakuru turned to him. 

Nakuru looked stricken, but none missed the wicked light in her eyes. "What? Can't bear how pretty I look?" Syaoran took several steps back, as Nakuru advanced on him. "I know, I know you regret marrying Sakura-chan now that you've looked at me, now, hum, Syaoran-kun?"  She whispered. 

 "Geh! Get away! Freak!"  Syaoran tried to push her away, but Nakuru only jumped. 

"Ha! Gimme a hug!!!" She yelled happily. 

Tomoyo and Sakura laughed, when Sakura looked around and stopped short. "Tomoyo-chan? Where's Rei-chan?" She asked, a bit panicked. Tomoyo always brought Rei with her. 

Tomoyo smiled slowly, before answering. "Oh, he's at the park, with Eriol-kun."

"Hoe? Why?" Sakura blinked. 

Tomoyo giggled softly: Syaoran was still trying to fend off Nakuru's hugs. "Actually, Eriol-kun volunteered to watch over him, while we planned your anniversary party."

Sakura was puzzled. "But, Rei-chan doesn't like strangers…"

Tomoyo nodded and the two moved to the living room, leaving Syaoran pleading them, with Nakuru. "I know, but Rei-chan adopted him quite quickly! It's amazing, Eriol-kun even managed to get him eat!"

"Wah!" Sakura was honestly amazed. Rei was the pickiest baby she had ever heard of when it came to food. It was even quite event for him to finish his own plate. 

"Yes, just like that and…" Tomoyo started to tell her how she had met up with Eriol and the others and the tea they had taken.

Meanwhile, Nakuru suddenly felt that her appointed victim stopped fighting her and she withdrew, looking at him. "Something's wrong, Syaoran-kun?" 

Syaoran turned back at Nakuru and whispered, his gaze slowly returning to his wife. Tomoyo and Sakura were talking in the living room, settling down on the couch. And he felt like talking. Maybe because she bore the same symbol as Yue, but Syaoran felt that she could understand him and he had longed to tell someone who could understand him.  "We've been seriously trying to get a child now, for around 3 years and still, nothing…"

Nakuru raised an eyebrow and smirked evilly. "Can't keep up?"

Syaoran blushed from head to toe and furiously snapped. "Why you?"

Nakuru only laughed back. "Ah, sorry!" But it was clear, she wasn't sorry at all.  When her laughter died down, she turned to look at Sakura too and told him quietly. "But, you know Syaoran-kun, things like a child or a lover can't be ordered around. They just come by, one day, usually, when you expect it the less to happen." Syaoran was surprised by the mature look on her features and smiling softly, he turned to Sakura too.

"Yes… But, when I see her, talking with Tomoyo-chan about Rei-chan… I know she longs for one, too. And when Rei-chan comes over, she just… glows."

Nakuru rolled her eyes and pointed out. "Sakura-chan always glows."

Embarrassed, Syaoran tried to explain how he saw things and more importantly, Sakura. "Yes. It's a different kind of glow…" 

Nakuru interrupted him. "You'll be a wonderful father, Syaoran."  Syaoran blushed once more and nodded his thanks. "So! What are you planning to give her?" She suddenly asked. 

Syaoran put his hand over her mouth, for fear Sakura had heard Nakuru. "Sh! Idiot! She's…"

"She what?" A soft voice asked from behind.

Nakuru and Syaoran whirled around to find the longhaired woman, smiling like an angel at them. "Tomoyo-chan?" Syaoran asked, goose bumps climbing up his arms. He knew that look and had come to fear it.

Tomoyo kept on sweetly.  "Are you planning something I don't know of?" Sakura was in the kitchen, preparing some tea for everyone.

"Tomoyo-chan, now, you know…"

"No, you know, Syaoran-kun." Tomoyo emphasized the pronoun and Syaoran only swallowed his saliva back. "How I dislike when things happen and I'm not aware of them?"

"Tomoyo-chan…" Syaoran raised his hands in order to calm her, even if she hadn't raised her tone, or stopped smiling.

"Specially, when Sakura-chan or you are concerned?"

Syaoran said quickly. "I swear, Tomoyo-chan, I wasn't…"

But Tomoyo cut him sharply. "You do know, don't you?" She insisted. 

Syaoran put his hands on front of him, in surrender. "Yes! Tomoyo-chan, I swear I will tell you!!"

"Good." Tomoyo smiled. 

Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura called from the living room, holding a tray with teacups. "What happened?"

"Nothing. I just reminded Syaoran-kun an important rule of mine."

Nakuru cowered next to Syaoran and whispered urgently. "Tomoyo-chan is scary."

"Don't tell me, I already know." Syaoran nodded and breathed out.

Tomoyo looked around her. "By the way, where's Kero-chan?" She asked, as she helped Sakura. 

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Playing at Oniichan's house, today."

Tomoyo was surprised and sighed. "Oh, poor, Touya-kun. He waited so long for this vacation with Yukito-san!" Sakura giggled, embarrassed. 

Tomoyo suddenly beamed and clasping her hands, she announced. "Anyway, we're here to plan Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun's tenth anniversary!" Syaoran only sighed when Nakuru yelled, excited, and followed her inside the living room.

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Eriol ran a hand over his sweaty forehead and sighed, his glasses in his right hand. "The power of the youth is scary."

"Gave you a run for your money, didn't he, Eriol-sama?" Spinel grinned from the inside of his shirt.

Eriol nodded and put his glasses back on his nose. "And he still won't sleep…" Eriol counted off his fingers. 'We've climbed and jumped, ran and he still isn't tired… Am I that old?" Eriol shook his head and turned back to the bundle of energy he was watching over. Only to find him ready to climb up another tree. Eriol shot to his feet, rushing towards the boy. "Rei-chan!" He called. "Don't climb up the trees!" Eriol reached for the small body and lifted him from the tree trunk. "Now, you know, your mama doesn't want you to do that." He half scolded the boy.

But Rei only grin back at him his best baby grin.  "Touchan."  He said happily and Eriol found himself losing to the boy. His headache had evaporated and he actually was enjoying himself. Rei was a nightmare to watch over, as he ran from left to right, without a care and felt a strong attraction to heights. Why was that, Eriol didn't know, but he only hoped Rei would stop trying climbing up trees, as soon as he had his back turned. 

"Yes, yes, that's me." Eriol nodded and placed the boy on the ground. He turned and kneeled, presenting his back to Rei. "Want to get on my back ?" Rei grinned back and happily answered.

"Yes! Yes!" And he all but jumped on the broad back. 

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On the very same day, two sisters were catching up, in the park. Sitting on a bench, the pair was chatting happily since it had been months that they had last seen each other, one being abroad for an internship. One of them, the older looking one, Seri, had on her fourth finger, a silver ring and the man, Shuichiro, lounging on the grass behind the sisters had a matching one on his own fourth finger. A pair of twins was each trying to climb up their father, while he read the papers. 

As, the giggling women were talking about the last boyfriend of the younger sister, Ami, noticed a father and his young son, hanging on his back, waving a cat-like plush, laughing, coming towards them. "How cute!" Ami's eyes sparkled. 

Seri turned to what had attracted her sister's attention and nodded her agreement. "He just looks like his father."

Ami, who was fond of any hot guys, clasped her hands in delight. "He's handsome! And the little boy must be his son!"

Seri had to agree. The man, tall, with his dark hair and fair skin, was quite a sight. "Ah, if I was still single…" She sighed. 

Behind her, her husband, who had let his ears trail to listen to his wife and sister-in-law conversation exclaimed in outrage. "Hey!"

But none of the women listened to him. Shuichiro returned to his daughters, whining to them his wife never listened to him. But Seri didn't pay attention as she kept on looking at the boy . Something was oddly familiar around him. "This little boy looks familiar, though."

Ami rolled her eyes at her older sister and drawled sarcastically. "Well, there's the adult version right next to him, so…"

Seri, who hadn't been listened, rudely interrupted her, having remembered where she had seen that boy. "Oh! I know, he's the little boy Yukito-san takes care of."

Ami blinked and repeated the name. "Yukito-san?"

Seri turned to her and smiled. "My neighbour. You saw him: glasses, smiling face, eats like four…"

Ami laughed as she remembered how she had first met her sister's neighbour: his face full of caramel cream and still eating, happy like a child. "Oh, yes!"

Seri turned her eyes back to the pair, strolling down, as she said quietly. "That means this little boy is Daidouji Tomoyo's son."

Eagerly, Ami leaned forward and whispered, excited. "You think this is his father?"

Seri looked back at her sister, in shock. "What you don't know?" She asked, bewildered.

Ami seemed genuinely puzzled "What?"

"Hey, you two!"

Both women whirled around and snapped at Seri's husband.  "Shuichiro, we're busy!" Suichiro cowered behind his daughters, who laughed in delight. They loved it, when their mother growled at their father. 

"So, so, tell me!" Ami urged her sister.

Seri leaned forward, and as conspiring traitors, Seri whispered urgently. "Daidouji-san adopted this child!"

"No!" Ami whispered back. 

Seri  nodded seriously. This story had been the head of tabloids for days. "Well, she adopted this boy, when his real mother died of childbirth the day Daidouji-san was visiting it."

Ami turned back to the man and Daidouji Tomoyo's son, but they had already walked past them, so she could only see the back of their dark heads.  "But, he looks so much like this man…"

Seri nodded once more and crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah, I know. But it can't be."

"So, are you, two gossipers, finished?" Shuichiro asked, breaking the silence, which had fallen between the two sisters, as they watched the dark-haired pair disappear from their sight.

Seri whirled around. "What is it with you, Shuichiro!"

Shuichiro acted like she had deadly wounded him. Seri rolled her eyes at him, while Ami laughed at her brother-in-law silliness. "Oh, you don't want to hear what your wonderful husband has to say? I'm hurt, love…" Shuichiro put his hand over his mouth, and his eyes started to water.

"Shuichiro, idiot!" Seri snapped, her face red from embarrassment. People were starting to point at them, laughing while Shuichiro still had his hand over his mouth, like he was ready to cry and Ami was laughing so hard Seri thought she was about to fall from the bench.

Meanwhile, her husband kept on. "And when I know who this man is…" Ami snapped out of her laughter and stared at Shuichiro with round eyes. "But if you don't want to listen to me, I'll understand… Come on, kids, your mother doesn't want…" Shuichiro turned to his daughters and opened his arms to them, ready to stand up.

But both female snatched his collar and brought him back to a sitting position. Harshly. "Who is he?"

"Tell me!" They both demanded.

Facing his possible death, Shuichiro quickly spilled the beans. "Eriol Hiiragizawa. He's as rich as God and…"

Seri, astonished, asked him. "How do you know that?"

Shuichiro grinned at his wife and told her, in a condescending tone. "Well, if you read the financial part of the papers you would have recognized him!"

Seri rolled her eyes, while her husband beamed. "Shut up." She told him half-heartedly. Shuichiro burst in laughter, he was the only who could make her completely furious and mewling like a cat the second after and it was driving her mad. That was partially why she had married him anyway. The other part being because she loved him and he loved her. 

Seri stood up and rounded the bench. Sometimes her husband was too cute to be true. Meanwhile, her sister was off to la-la land, happily giggling. "Whoa, handsome, young, rich and probably ultra intelligent! My ideal man!"

Shuichiro laughed at her and told her, waving his hand at her, dismissively. "Forget it, he's married."

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All right, you're all right, I am EVIL! But I just HAD to drop this bomb! LOL! Well, this chapter is dedicated with my whole heart to Maverick! Thank you, girl, this chapter entirely belongs to you! Thank you for kicking my lazy butt to get me to write! I hope you liked it!

Love and peaches 

mikim


	5. Meet the Family!

Ara, ara, the long-awaited 4th chapter is finally out! Yes, people, can you believe it? Well I can't! Anyway, sorry for the long wait, but this baby takes its sweet time to go the way I want it to go. Well, I hope it's worth the wait! Hit the box to tell me, then people!

See you soon, 

mikim.

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Darker than Ebony

By mikim

Chapter 04: Meet the family!

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Standard Disclaimers apply

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Syaoran was going to die, he just knew it… What the hell possessed him when he agreed to participate to this madness? What devil took over him when he said he would be there? Which god hated him enough to have him be a part of a party preparations with three she-devils… Even if one of those three succubus was his own wife, he really must have been out of his mind when he said he would help… 

Syaoran sighed for maybe the hundredth time and shook his head lightly. He didn't remember it to be so painful when they had planned their wedding… Sure, his suggestions were listened to, back then, he thought to himself dryly. Syaoran cast a bored glance around and as in the last hour, Nakuru was giggling madly, cracking up his nerves, Sakura, his sweet beloved, had stars in her eyes as she listened to Tomoyo, who… Well, was herself… as in herself when over-excited. 

Meaning, she was talking a mile the minute, her starry eyes and her hands clasped together, twirling on herself, making plans already for Sakura's dress and hair. And worse, she had decided to design his clothes for the party too. Syaoran sighed once more, the last time Tomoyo had designed his clothes, they were still all chasing after the cards. In fact, it had been that dress… 

Syaoran groaned at the memory, and he let his head fall into his hand. That dreaded play, when Sakura had found Light and Dark. Suppressing another chill, Syaoran ran a hand in his already rustled hair and stood up. None of the females noticed him and he rolled his eyes heavenward. They were happily picking up flowers to match their theme. Flowers for goodness's sake. And they even haven't talked about the menu… A shrill made him jump in surprise and hand on heart, Syaoran whirled around: Nakuru was excited about something. Groaning and muttering under his breath about evil old pink-haired witches, Syaoran left for the kitchen.

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The clouds were looming dangerously over their heads, as Eriol, Rei in his arms and Spinel-Sun safely tucked in Rei's shirt strolled out of the park. "Eriol-sama." Spinel called. Rei was playing with him. Putting him in his shirt, then taking him out, placing him on Eriol's head, then hiding him in Eriol's shirt. Eriol couldn't really understand what Rei was blabbering, but it sounded really important as the little one instructed Spinel. 

"What is it, Spinel?" Eriol wasn't in a hurry. He had greatly appreciated the afternoon. More than he thought he would, actually. Rei was a bundle of joy, never tiring, always jumping.

"Looks like it's going to rain." Spinel said as Rei shoved him once more in Eriol's shirt. Eriol chuckled as Rei pulled him out by his tail, earning a yelp from Spinel.

"Really? Well, we'd better go at Sakura-chan's house, then." He grinned, but didn't hurry. If he recalled correctly, Sakura's house wasn't really far, however, he couldn't remember where the house actually was.

"Master?" Spinel interrupted him, while Eriol was rummaging through his memories.

"Yes?" He answered without really paying attention.

"Do you even know where Sakura-sama lives?" Eriol stopped walking and glared down at his small guardian. Rei was caressing his fur rather hardly, patting heavily on his head, but Spinel didn't mind and let him do at his convenience. 

"As I thought." Spinel snorted. 

Eriol sighed and admitted Spinel was right. "Let's track down Ruby Moon. She's with them."

"Lucky you." Spinel snorted once more as Eriol resumed walking. Eriol sensed his guardian gently spreading his energy, trying to locate his companion one in the surrounding houses.

Eriol frowned and pointed out. "You could have asked Tomoyo-san, too." He said, accentuating the pronoun. 

Spinel ignored him and looked up at his master. "Talking about Tomoyo-sama…" Rei had flung an arm around Eriol's neck and holding Spinel with the other, he laid there gently.

Eriol smirked. "So, now it's Tomoyo-sama?"

Spinel ignored his remark once more and asked him. "Do you really believe her story?"

Eriol knew where Spinel wanted to go. "About her adopting Rei? Yes, I do." He looked away, raising his eyes to the path before him, not wanting to meet his guardian's ones. Ruby Moon had always been made to put a bit a foolishness in his dull life, when all he could do was to stay back and wait for the Card Mistress to arrive. Spinel Sun, however, had been created to share his thoughts, to understand him, to tell him what he was doing was right. That he too had a right to love and be loved in return and more to enjoy the surprises of life.

Spinel's voice was serious. "There are no doubt about that, master. Tomoyo-sama did adopt Rei. I was talking about her reasons to do so, master…" The sun guardian let his voice trail. 

Eriol nodded. "Doing something so reckless, as adopting a child on a whim, isn't like the Tomoyo-san I remember from our childhood." He confirmed slowly. He had thought over it too. While watching Rei running around, he had wondered. When Tomoyo had first told she had adopted Rei, the question had naturally sprung in his mind and the obvious answer hadn't been long to follow. Still, he rather didn't want to believe it.

"She was really calm and sensitive." Spinel added.

Eriol turned pensive, as he remembered when she had led him to the park. "She always has her angelic voice…" The various people's stares had hurt her, like an old scar sending a bolt of pain up to a system to remember it was still there and still not healed properly.

"Master?" Spinel called him.

Eriol sighed and met his guardian's eyes. "I know…"

The silence grew between them. Rei had put Spinel in the crook of his elbow, while his thumb had found its way in his mouth. With his free hand, Rei was playing with Eriol's hair. An habit, Eriol thought, smiling softly, he had developed off Tomoyo's long hair. "Master?" Spinel suddenly inquired. 

Eriol turned his eyes back on his guardian. "What?"

"Can I speak my mind?" Spinel asked slowly.

Eriol rolled his eyes. "Since when do you need my permission?"

Spinel fell silent for a while. Oh, he wasn't looking for his words, rather, for the right way to utter his thoughts without offending his master. "I think Tomoyo-sama adopted Rei because she had come to a point in her life when she had realized she had…"

Eriol completed. "Nothing."

Spinel's eyes widened slightly. "So you realized?"

Eriol nodded and said slowly. "Tomoyo-san is a clever and reasonable girl. Feeling sorry for a baby and sacrificing herself for a stranger, as small or helpless as it may be…" Eriol didn't have to finish his thought.

"So we agree." Spinel simply said and Eriol nodded. "Master, what are you planning with Tomoyo-sama?"

Eriol blinked. "What?"

Spinel did a good imitation of Eriol's evil smirk and told his master slyly. "We've seen you."

Eriol rolled his eyes and demanded shortly. "Stay out of my head, will you?"

Spinel turned serious once more. "She still hasn't really given up." He pointed out. 

Eriol smiled ruefully. "I know. That's why it's interesting."

Spinel was surprised. "Because she loves somebody else?"

Eriol shook his head and denied. "It's not a love any longer."

"I don't understand, master." Spinel confessed. Eriol was almost at the park's way out.

"It's more like a habit, than love." He explained, absentmindedly. 

"Master… What are you going to do?" Spinel pressed him. 

Eriol shrugged. It wasn't like he had planned to feel any kind of attraction for Tomoyo Daidouji, after all. "I don't know. Let it come, I guess. I won't try to seduce her, but I'd like to try to have more than friendship with her."

It was then Spinel's turn to roll his eyes.  "So you're going to flirt shamelessly with her?"

"Really Spinel Sun…" Eriol tried to chide him, but he would have greater chance of success if he had been able to wipe the grin off his face.

Spinel sighed and suddenly his senses caught a familiar source. "I located Moron."

"Took you long enough." Eriol grinned. 

"I was busy talking to you." Spinel defended himself. 

Rei was still sucking on his thumb when suddenly something white and very familiar caught the corner of his right eye and he yelled gleefully. "Ice-cream!"

"You want some?" Eriol stopped in his tracks, surprised at Rei's sudden outburst.

Rei rammed his memories. If his mother had been there, she would have said something. Then Rei remembered the magical word and added. "Please!" 

Eriol laughed and turned to the merchant. "I take that as a yes."

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Nakuru was humming, while looking in a magazine Tomoyo had brought over on a previous occasion, what kind of buffet would match their theme: chocolate. The three of them had decided to have a party around one of Sakura and Syaoran's favorite thing. Nakuru was laying on her stomach on the floor, next to Sakura sitting on the couch. Tomoyo was on the other side of the low table, also checking for recipes with a chocolate basis. Suddenly, as she noted down the page of an interesting dessert, Nakuru felt Spinel's energy and Nakuru yelped. "What's wrong, Nakuru-chan?" Sakura asked. Sakura was making the list of the persons they would invite to their party.

Nakuru smiled up at her. "Eriol-sama is coming over!"

"How do you know?" Tomoyo asked.

Nakuru grinned at her. "I always know where is Eriol-sama and he's coming closer!"

Syaoran came back at the moment. He had been in the kitchen, to refill these ladies teapot. "It looks like it's going to rain…"

"Oh!" Sakura squealed. "Rei would be asleep then."

"What?" Nakuru asked, noticing the three others smiles.

Sakura giggled softly, her eyes taking a tender turn. "Rei always falls asleep when rain is about to fall. He looks so cute when he does!"

Syaoran nodded and added. "Usually, he would cuddle to someone, put his thumb in his mouth and close his eyes." When Rei was over and that it rained, Syaoran usually played the role of the little boy's pillow. Once, when Rei had been still small, he had burst in tears, unable to decide who to go to, since Syaoran, Yukito and Touya were present in the room. He had cried his eyes out, showing his mother miserably his uncle and two adopted fathers. "And then, blissful silence for hours!" Syaoran said with a huge grin.

Tomoyo suddenly remembered she had to call her mother, which she hadn't done yet. "Talking about them, I need to call my mother." She pulled her cell phone out of her bag and dialed her mother's number.

"What for?" Sakura asked.

The phone to her ear, while she waited for someone to pick up, Tomoyo shared a smile with Nakuru and answered Sakura. "I've just hired Eriol-san to be my baby-sitter!"

"Hoe?"

Tomoyo explained quickly. "I need to ask mother to send someone to pick up their luggage, before it rains and to prepare their rooms at home."

Sakura asked bewildered. She remembered that Eriol owned a huge mansion in town. "Because they're staying your place?"

While Tomoyo talked in her phone, Nakuru yelled excitedly. "Yes! And we're going to play! I will get to play with Rei-chan! And with Suppi-chan! And Rei will play with Suppi-chan!"

Syaoran scowled at his wife first, then at Tomoyo and grumbled darkly. "Alright, who fed her sugar?"

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Eriol let a worried eye trail over the dark clouds rumbling over his head. Annunciating of rain, Eriol would have welcomed them with open arms, for after the rain, the temperature would surely get down a notch or two, but he silently prayed the rain wouldn't fall until he and his precious burden were safely in Sakura's house. However, Eriol doubted it, as the first rain drops fell on his nose, lightly. Rei was asleep on Eriol's back, much to Eriol's surprise. Like a spell, the boy had suddenly rubbed his eyes, his mouth full of ice cream, dripping all over his face. Rei had then yawned, bid enough to suck all the air of the park and started to whimper, his little arms thrust towards him, until Eriol had given in his plea and placed him on his back. There, with Spinel, safely, secured under his chin, Rei had fallen asleep. 

But, as the rain started to fall lightly, Eriol gently moved the boy from his back to his arms. Eriol smiled softly down on Rei. He was sucking furiously on his thumb and Spinel was purring from inside his shit, his whiskers caressing Rei's chin. 

Unnoticed by Eriol, a man, suddenly stopped short and stared at Rei. He took a hesitant step forward, then stopped. As if taking the time to breath in deeply, like before facing a fight, the man stepped forward and approached Eriol, who only noticed him when the man hesitantly called for him. 

"Ex- Excuse me? Sir?"

"Yes?" Eriol, startled, turned around, his hold unconsciously tightening on Rei, fast asleep in his arms. The man who had called Eriol out had a boyish face. It was the first trait which struck Eriol. He was maybe barely 30, but sadness and hope rivaled in his deep chocolate eyes as he gazed down at Rei. The man obviously tried to get himself together as he spluttered. 

"Is… Is this boy your son?" Eriol blinked. Not exactly what he was waiting for. The man seemed harmless, but the hope shining now brightly in his eyes startled the Englishman greatly. The man ran a hand, nervously in his short dark hair as he waited Eriol to answer.

"Huh? No, he isn't. He's a friend's son." Eriol smiled a little down at Rei, sucking on his thumb. 

The man took a sharp intake of air and took an awkward step forward. "Could it be that… That your friend is…" Eriol frowned and shifted Rei gently, in case he would need an arm to fend off anything. Or anyone.

"I'm sorry, but what is your business?" Eriol interrupted him abruptly, his tone harsh and demanding. He straightened his back and scowled darkly at the man, who visibly blanched. 

"Of course, of course." He nodded miserably. "I should have introduced myself first. My name is Takehiko Ueda." He bowed deeply. 

Eriol frowned. The name was familiar. Very familiar. "Nice to meet you." He said darkly. "But it still doesn't tell me what you want."

Takehiko sighed and nodded once more. "I'm…" The young man blushed and said quickly. "You will find this silly, but I'm looking for my wife and son."

Eriol blinked rapidly. "I'm sorry?" The rain was starting to fall. Still, it was light and Eriol didn't even really notice, focused as he was on the squirming man under his gaze, in front of him.

Takehiko bowed again and shook his head, ashamed of himself. "This is my pathetic life, I'm sorry I bothered you." What a fool he was, asking people in the streets if the child could be his son. But, he was desperate. He had lost all trails which could lead him to his family. 

Eriol raised an eyebrow. He finally remembered the name and rightly so. "Ueda?" He asked lightly. "It's the name of a financial group, rather large."

"Hmm." Takehiko shifted nervously on his feet. This man's eyes were… disturbing. Yes, this could only be the word for them. The blue eyes were fixing him with a mix of sadness and compassion, gentle but still so cold.

"I remember a scandal, a few years ago." Eriol said slowly and as Takehiko's eyes closed slowly, to hide the pain they probably bore, Eriol knew he was right. "The eldest son having eloped with a girl and his father refusing to acknowledge his wedding." Takehiko raised his face and a sloppy smile lit up his face. It was a sad smile, but he was reminiscing happy times.

The smile changed, however, and a thunder seemed to darken his young face. "My wife Kurumi was too… common for my father." Takehiko snarled, his fists trembling at his sides. Eriol knew of this affair Ueda Senior had tried to choke. The woman, Kurumi, had disappeared not long after the first anniversary of the couple.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry." The rain danced around them and the little people who could have been in the street were leaving it. Soon, only Eriol, holding Rei and Spinel, and Takehiko Ueda were standing in the quiet street. 

Suddenly, Takehiko looked up at Eriol and smiled weakly. "It's okay. Can you just tell me your friend's name?" He asked quietly, his eyes drifting towards Rei. "I know this boy can't possibly be my son, just to ease my mind. Please." He murmured.

Eriol considered his plea for the time of a heartbeat. "Tomoyo." He said slowly. "Daidouji Tomoyo."

"Oh, from the toys?" Surprised, Takehiko blinked quickly, chasing the rain from his eyes and smiled softly. 

"Yes." Eriol nodded, as he pushed a blue strand out of his eyes. He needed to get to Sakura and quickly. How could Rei sleep in this weather was beyond him, but he stayed. Eriol didn't exactly know why, but he felt like he should stay, like there was something he still had to solve with Takehiko and only after he could leave to take shelter from the rain.

"I see. I'm sorry I bothered you." Takehiko bowed once more, this time deeply and turned to leave, but Eriol's voice stopped him. 

It rarely happened, but when it did, it had to get out of his system. Eriol had no control over those, but he had never really bothered about them because it had happened once, maybe twice. It was coming to him, like an obvious evidence, as sure as the water wets and the fire burns. It was an obvious truth and the words flowed out of his mouth before he could stop them. Or even think them. "You will find your son." Eriol blinked.

Takehiko looked at him with bewildered eyes and his mouth slightly agape, he choked. "What?"

Eriol smiled weakly. It was like somebody else had taken over his body to make him say those words. He quickly came up with an excuse to smother the arch truth he had just given out and soothe the raw hope that had arisen in Takehiko's eyes. "You will find your son. Someday, just as long as you believe in it." Eriol felt his smile fade, as he watched the other's man's eyes suddenly cloud. 

"You are kind." Takehiko's shoulders suddenly slumped. He had believed. For the tiniest second, the sheer confidence of this strange man's voice had convinced him that he would find his son. This stranger was actually kind. Takehiko could only vividly remember the string of curses or threats which usually followed him when he stopped people in the street to ask if the toddler they were holding was actually theirs. "All I know is that he should have been born around Christmas, almost 4 years ago and that he's dark-haired, with dark eyes." A sad smile came to his lips, as he raised his head once more. Maybe his relatives were right, maybe this actually was a fool's errand. "Like the majority of the kids around here."

Eriol smiled with him and shifted Rei's weight in his arms. "This is Japan after all."

Takehiko nodded. This strange man was comforting him and he may be the first who had actually encouraged him. Takehiro felt like he owed him an explanation. "Yes, and Kurumi… I tried to contact her, but her friends don't know where she is either. I don't even know if they are alive. They could be both dead…" Dread caught his heart, like it had the thousandth or other times before, and once more, Takehiko fisted his hands, ready to fight it. He wouldn't stop, not until he either found his wife and son or their graves. But, still, the latter possibility was becoming more and more like the only out coming of all this mess. 

"Don't lose hope." Eriol told him softly. "It's usually when you start to lose hope that you reach what you seek."

Takehiko turned once more to Eriol and smiled. "You seem so confident about it."

Eriol answered with a wry smile of his own. "That's what happened to me." A moment of silence came over them, but it wasn't awkward nor cold, but almost friendly and comforting to Takehiko's heart and he started again to believe. But Eriol loud curse ruined the mood. "Shit! It's pouring now!" Indeed, the rain had suddenly taken up and was quickly falling hard. "Rei-chan." Eriol said, shaking him a little. "Wake up."

"Papa…" Rei yawned as Eriol twisted on himself to get out of his shirt, without letting Rei fall. 

Rei watched him curiously as Eriol draped his shirt on him. "Here, hold this ok?" Rei nodded and gripped his makeshift cape with sweaty hands. But he was still so tired, his eyelids were so heavy. Rei yawned again and leaned once more on Eriol's chest. "Hey, don't fall asleep." Eriol protested but Rei didn't mind him. 

Takehiko chuckled lightly. "Your son is really cute."

Eriol smiled at him, as he secured his hold on Rei. "He's not my son." He explained. "But he has taken up the habit of calling me father. So, I can only understand you a little."

Takehiko's eyes were soft, resting on Rei's little form, under the light gray shirt. "Thank you…" He let his voice trail and Eriol filled in for him.

"Eriol. Hiiragizawa Eriol."

"Thank you, Hiiragizawa-san." Takehiko smiled before realization came over him. "Oh!" He exclaimed. "You do business with my father!"

Eriol smiled as he turned around, ready to broke in a run. "Yes. Maybe we'll meet again! Goodbye Ueda-san!"

"Papa! Wain!" Rei whined, as he was started to seriously get wet. 

Takehiko laughed lightly at Rei's outrage tone. "Goodbye, don't let your friend's son get drenched because of me."

"Rei-chan, hang on!" Eriol only said, as he ran away. A quick look over his left shoulder confirmed him that Takehiko was watching them go, standing, immobile, under the pouring rain. 

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Syaoran leaned on the windowsill, peering outside at the falling rain. "Wow, it's pouring." He turned to Sakura, as she too approached the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of Eriol and Rei rushing home.

Nakuru started to whine. "Mou, what's taking Eriol-sama so long?"

Tomoyo looked up from her catalog and for the first time, noticed the pouring rain. Immediately, she stood up, pale. "Rei will be drenched." She turned to Sakura, who smiled in answer. "Sakura-chan, do you still have?"

Sakura interrupted her, nodding. "Yes, all his clothes are upstairs, I'm going to take them for you." She said softly, soothing Tomoyo's panicked feelings. 

"Thank you." Tomoyo said, as Sakura left the living to climb upstairs. Syaoran left the window and patted gently on Tomoyo's head. 

"Don't worry so much, Tomoyo." He admonished. "A little rain will not melt your monster." Syaoran grinned down at her and Tomoyo raised her eyes to meet his. And grinned too. Except that her grin spooked Syaoran.

"Syaoran-kun." She said sweetly.

"What?" He croaked, backing a little from her.

Tomoyo suddenly said, her hands clasped together in glee. "I've seen this gorgeous pink fabric for Sakura-chan's dress, the other day and I couldn't help myself, but buy some." Tomoyo looked at Nakuru, her finger tapping her lower lip lightly, as deep in thoughts. "Now, I wonder if I haven't bought too much fabric. Oh, wait, maybe I could have enough for another outfit! A male outfit!" She exclaimed innocently, hitting her right fist in her open left hand, sending Syaoran a look, like she was mentally taking his measurements.

"I'm going to make Rei-chan some hot chocolate!" Syaoran yelled quickly, running in the kitchen under Tomoyo's laughing eyes. 

Nakuru watched her with huge eyes and finally wailed. "Tomoyo-chan… Scary!"

Tomoyo's pearly laugh raised in the air and she nodded. "That's right, Nakuru-chan, no one ever crosses me, don't they, Syaoran-kun?" A gruff was only heard as answer, in the vague location of the kitchen. Tomoyo turned back to the window and frowned. From the very end of the street, there seemed to be somebody moving towards them and Tomoyo smiled, knowing it was Eriol with Rei.

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Rei was holding on dear life on Eriol's neck, his makeshift cape hanging drenched piteously over his head and back, one of Eriol strong arm keeping it in position. "Papa… Wet." Rei whined a little. But Eriol flashed him a smile. Rei was cold too and cuddled Spinel warm body closer.

"Yeah, but in a minute, we'll be all dry." Eriol said, running towards Sakura's house, which he could see. 

As they neared their destination, Rei seemed to recognize the neighborhood and twisting in Eriol's arms, he saw his aunt's house and yelled. "Ah! Kero-chan!"

Eriol laughed as they entered the front lawn. "Yes, this is Kero-chan's house." The front door slammed open and Tomoyo's pale form appeared in the doorway, her arms extended, a welcoming smile on her lips.

Eriol handed her Rei, who was singing on the top of his lungs. "Kero-chan! Kero-chan! Kero-chan! Kero-chan!" Spinel groaned as Rei sang, but stayed put, under Rei's arm.

"Rei-chan!" Tomoyo protested as he squirmed his way to the floor. "Gosh, you look like a drenched cat!" Syaoran had supplied her with big towels and she engulfed her son in one of them. But Rei was more preoccupied. He kept looking around, waiting for Kero to come zooming around his head. But, as the golden guardian didn't appear, Rei turned to his mother.

"Mama!" He protested, frowning, as if calling his mother would make Kero appear. Tomoyo shook her head and Rei decided to take the matter in his hands, by dashing further in the house, looking for the guardian. Eriol came in the house and closed the door behind him. The vision of Tomoyo, waiting in the doorway, with such a soft smile on his lips, had made his heart flutter faster that he thought it would. But she certainly was a sight for sore eyes. The way her eyes had lit up when he had handed her Rei. For a foolish moment, Eriol had thought he had found his place. Eriol pushed a wet strand of hair out of his eyes and took off his glasses. Nakuru appeared at his sides and offered him a towel, he graciously accepted. He was well aware he was still bare-chested, with the high possibility of catching a cold. But, if it meant to see Tomoyo like that again, and maybe he could blackmail her into taking care of him, if he was to be sick, it was damn worth running without a shirt on his back, in the rain.

"Rei!" Tomoyo called after him, the towel in her hands. But a pair of strong hands caught the little runaway by his middle and Syaoran lifted Rei high in the sky, much to his delight.

"Why aren't you sleeping, Monster? It's raining!" Syaoran asked, laughing. Tomoyo handed him the towel and Syaoran started the tedious work of trying to dry Rei.

Rei laughed too as his uncle wrapped him tightly in the towel and waved his arms out of the towel. "Rain! Rain!" He called and Spinel took this opportunity to fly away. To which, Rei let a wail of pure outrage.

Tomoyo turned around to see if Eriol needed anything and she stopped breathing. Eriol was drying his hair, the towel over his head, leaving his chest to her view. Almost unconsciously, Tomoyo let her eyes wander on the pale broad chest, the sinew muscles of his arms and the well-defined stomach. He didn't have a six-pack, but he wasn't fat nor skinny either. His skin looked smooth and Tomoyo wondered if his skin was actually as soft as it looked. 

Nakuru, who was standing right next to her master, holding his glasses, hid a knowing smirk and handed Tomoyo Eriol's glasses, she had wiped all the water from.

"Here, Tomoyo-chan. I need to dry Spinel." Nakuru bounced in the living-room, leaving a surprised Tomoyo behind her.

Tomoyo stared dumbly at Nakuru's back, wondering oddly how the girl could actually bounce out of the room, when a smooth voice called her from behind. "Tomoyo-san?" Like pulled by a magnet, Tomoyo couldn't resist his voice and turned. And as she expected, the sight of him was deadly to her senses. He had a hand casually running in his wet hair, trying to comb it with his fingers, the towel hanging around his neck. Tomoyo could see raindrops still lingering on his stomach and she hardly fought an urge to wipe them away and touch for herself his pale skin. Without his glasses, his smoky blue eyes were focused directly on her and Tomoyo, for the first time, really felt self-conscious. Smoothing invisible wrinkles on her skirt, she handed him wordlessly his glasses, which he also graciously took without a word. However, his smirk told her he had seen her blush and the way his eyes had suddenly sparkled spoke well of what he thought of her checking him out. 

Unnoticed by the pair, as Eriol put back in place his glasses, Sakura was descending the stairs and upon seeing her, Rei stopped playing with his uncle to ask, eagerly. "Kero-chan?"

Sakura laughed and kissed him on the cheek. "Kero-chan is not here, today, Rei-chan." She told him gently.

Tomoyo turned away from Eriol and reached out for her son. "But, you absolutely need a bath to warm you up." She said, taking Rei from Syaoran. Eriol couldn't help but think she was running from him. And he wasn't the only one. Tomoyo thought so too.

Sakura eyed critically Eriol and added, giving him a pointed look at the water dripping from his pants to her floor. "Both of you, actually." Eriol smiled sheepishly and greeted her warmly. He had missed his half-daughter greatly. He had after all waited half of his life for her to be born.

"Hello, Sakura-chan." His smile turned fatherly and his eyes smoothed over her petite form. Married life had done her well: her eyes were still sparkly as ever, but her face bore the maturity of a woman.

Sakura smiled and chided him half-heartedly. "Mou, Eriol-kun, I would hug you, but you look and smell like a wet dog."

Eriol laughed out loud. "Geez, thanks." He then bent down to take his shoes off. Of course, this was when Syaoran chose to greet him.

"Hiiragizawa." The Chinese man said coldly, looking down at his ancestor. Eriol looked up and grinned. 

"Oh, hello, small descendant." Syaoran seethed and tried to burn holes in his skull, but Sakura stopped him.

"I'm going to look for some clothes for Eriol-kun. Why don't you go and fill the bath for them, honey?"

"Yes." Syaoran grumbled as he followed her upstairs. 

Eriol stood up and shook his head. "What an obedient nice little hubby." He said loud enough for Syaoran to hear, but the latter only twisted his fingers, like he really yearned to close them around somebody's neck.

Tomoyo retreated to the living room and chided him over her shoulder. "Eriol-kun, be nice." She put Rei down and smiled at him. "Now, up to the bath."

Rei raised suspicious eyes on her and he repeated slowly. "Bath?"

Tomoyo sighed under Eriol's amused eyes. "Yes, bath." She confirmed to her son, who in return narrowed his eyes, scowling at his mother and tried to tug his arm from her hand. "And don't you do these eyes at me, Rei-chan, you will go." 

"Mama…" Rei started to squirm away and Tomoyo sighed, wondering how she would drag him upstairs.

"I take it he doesn't like to bathe?" Eriol said sweetly from the sides and Tomoyo glared at him.

Tomoyo then rolled her eyes. "He abhors it, would be closer to the reality." She couldn't recall how many times she had to run after him in the whole house to get him in his bath. "But, once I get him in the water, I can't get him out." Rei, noticing his mother's attention wasn't completely focused on him, tugged harder his arm away, managing to break free. "Rei-chan!" Tomoyo called, startled. The boy didn't wait long and ran away. "Come back here!" Tomoyo called after him. Rei jumped on the couch and scowled from there. Eriol watched dumbfounded, as mother and son ran in the living room. Rei in head, Tomoyo on his heels, cursing all the way, promising heavenly punishment or sweet treats, but Rei heard none and ran in the kitchen.

Sakura descended the stairs, holding some more clothes. "Here, Eriol-kun, clothes. These are Onii-chan's old clothes, but I think they will fit you." She then dumped then in Eriol's arms.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan." Eriol thanked her. 

"Ore? Where's…" Sakura never came to ask the end of her question, as a yell, coming from the kitchen interrupted her.

"Sakura-chan! Corner him! He's coming your way!" Tomoyo called, her hands extended on her little runaway, but too short to catch him, as he zoomed away from her.

Rei saw his salvation. His aunt was always kind and giving in anything he asked. "Baa-chan! Baa-chan!" He called, his little arms closing on her legs. 

Sakura smiled down at Rei and shook her head. "No, no, Rei-chan, you're going to the bath!" Horrified, Rei suddenly released her and took several steps back. Tomoyo had her hands on her hips and was really happy with her son, right now. Rei looked right and left, pondered a minute on the risk of rounding his aunt and getting up the stairs, but his mother had seen the opportunity and she deftly placed herself in his path. 

Rei's eyes suddenly lit up. "Papa!" He yelled and ran to him. Tomoyo let an exasperated noise escape her and Sakura giggled. 

Eriol laughed. "Clever boy. Come here!" He opened his arms to Rei and once more Rei raced to him. Eriol gathered him up and Rei grinned at him, then at his mother. 

"Now, let's go this horrid bath." Eriol said cheerfully and Rei wailed.

"No!" He squirmed, wailed, whined, groaned, grunted all the way, within Eriol's arms, but the older man only laughed at his antics.

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Sakura's huge eyes fell on her living room. "What a mess…" She whistled: Rei had jumped on her couch, little wet footprints were firmly set on the couch armpits and back. The low table also had suffered Rei's scrambling away. Papers, which originally were on the low table, were scattered almost everywhere and Rei had managed to knock down the phone in his mad run. Thankfully, this time, Tomoyo added to herself, he hadn't broken anything.

Tomoyo apologized. "Sorry, Sakura-chan. He was all wet and he jumped everywhere. Mou, he put water everywhere!" She groaned. 

Sakura giggled and patted Tomoyo's arm. "It's ok, Tomoyo-chan. It's nothing."

"But…" Tomoyo protested, but Sakura cut her.

"It really is ok, Tomoyo-chan." The desperate tone was familiar to Tomoyo and it was why she managed to pick up, within Sakura's falsely cheerful voice. Nakuru and Spinel were in the kitchen, Nakuru fixing everyone tea.

"Sakura-chan…" Tomoyo placed a gently hand on her cousin's arm. 

Sakura bit her lower lip. "You can't imagine how happy this makes me… Seeing Rei-chan run everywhere in the house… His laugh and the mess he trails on his heels." Sakura shook her head, trying to brush away, without Tomoyo noticing the few tears which escaped her eyes.

Tomoyo gently closed her arms around Sakura. "Sakura-chan… Shh." She rocked her cousin against her, while Sakura let go of her tears.

A little while later, Sakura pushed away from Tomoyo's comforting hug and drying her last tears she smiled at her cousin. "Sorry, I didn't mean to."

"It's ok." Tomoyo squeezed her hand. Sakura hugged Tomoyo once more, to thank her, as she had no words of thanks to offer her that Tomoyo hadn't already heard at least a hundred times.

"Sakura-chan…" Nakuru tilted her head on the side, Spinel on her shoulder.

Sakura backed away a little from Tomoyo. "Nakuru-chan?" 

Then Nakuru squealed and ran to the pair. "Huggy Party? Me too!" She jumped and engulfed them in a hug which would have made a bear proud. Spinel, who hadn't expected her mad jump, fluttered away, grumbling about unexpected idiot.

"Nakuru-chan!" Tomoyo squeaked, in Nakuru's crushing hug, while the three laughed. 

"What's going on here?" Syaoran asked, amused, an eyebrow raised up.

"Syaoran!" Sakura giggled and went to her husband. 

Syaoran, recognizing her look, gently took her in his arms. He too yearned for a child. A thought suddenly popped in his head. "Hey, Tomoyo, you sure you want to leave your kid, naked, with Hiiragizawa?"

Nakuru's horrified shriek answered in Tomoyo's place. "Master isn't a pervert!"

Syaoran grinned at her. "Well, I don't know, he did stay as a child for God only knows how long! What kind of sick fantasies could he have…"

"Syaoran-kun…" Tomoyo started worriedly. But she never went around to finish her warning, as Nakuru jumped forward.

"DIE!! You lowlife Chinese brat!" Nakuru disappeared in a shower of petals and Ruby Moon along with her trademark pink haired appeared. "Prepare!!" She called, gathering her energy, a murderous glint in her eyes.

"Be careful." Tomoyo finally finished her sentence, but Syaoran was already jumping out of the way of ruby shards coming his way.

"Ruby Moon!" Sakura protested and stomped her foot.

Ruby Moon flung Syaoran shards after shards of dangerous looking ruby swords, knocking in the process an old vase. Syaoran jumped and caught it just before it shattered on the floor. "Waa!! Idiot! Careful! My mother sent this!" 

Ruby Moon didn't listen and letting her butterfly appear on her back, she rose in the air at his pursuit. Syaoran squeaked when he saw her, threw the vase at Sakura and ran. "You won't escape! Give up now!"

Sakura swallowed hard and turned to the only one who could reasonably stop Ruby Moon. "Spinel-san! Please, do something!"

Tomoyo was laughing merrily at Syaoran and Spinel landed softly on her shoulder. "Yes, yes, Sakura-sama. Try your best, Ruby Moon!" He cheered and Tomoyo laughed harder.

"YES!" Ruby Moon answered.

Drying her tears of laughter, Tomoyo approached Sakura. "Eriol-kun is also his master, after all."

"Mou! Ruby Moon, please!" Sakura stomped her foot once more, but Ruby Moon merrily kept on chasing her husband down.

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Upstairs, in the bathroom, Eriol felt the sudden urge of power rushing in his veins. Blinking, he also recognized instantly Ruby Moon's energy and realized that she had transformed. However, there was nothing in the aura of the inhabitants of the house that talked of danger and the Cards would have probably been the first to pick up any danger which could harmed their mistress. But the Cards slept on and therefore, Eriol concluded there actually was no danger. "I wonder what's going on, downstairs, what do you think, Rei-chan?" Rei was playing with a plastic duck, Sakura's old toys. Rei filled the duck with water and when he pressed it, water shot out of the duck's open mouth.

"Water." Rei said. 

"Yes, Rei-chan!" Then, with a grin, Rei filled his toy once more, except that this time, he turned the duck's mouth towards Eriol and pressed hard. The water hit Eriol straight on the face. Rei laughed merrily and went to fill his duck once more. "Hey, stop." Eriol protested, but Rei only laughed.

"Papa silly!"

"Why you, little monster." Eriol flicked a little water in Rei's face.

"Papa! Stop!" Rei laughed and the game went on, Rei with his duck and Eriol flickering little water in retaliation.

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Laughs drifted out of the bathroom, making Tomoyo smiled warmly. "Sounds like they're having fun in there."

Sakura observed her closely. "Tomoyo-chan?"

"Yes?" Tomoyo raised her eyes to Sakura. The two of them were standing in front of the bathroom door, on their way to call Eriol and Rei out of the bath. Tomoyo mentally groaned at the prospect of luring Rei out of the bath. The boy was a nightmare when it came to get him in, but he was worse when it was time to get him out.

"What are you going to do?" Sakura asked softly. When coming down earlier, with Rei's clothes under her arms, she had caught Tomoyo staring and blushing at Eriol while the latter dried his hair.

Tomoyo wondered what Sakura was talking about. "What?"

"Once Eriol-kun leaves for England again?" Sakura pointed out.

Tomoyo shrugged. "I don't know…" Tomoyo rolled her eyes, remembering the scene Rei had caused when he had wanted to call Eriol, papa. "Actually, it really surprised me when Rei-chan accepted him so easily. Maybe Rei-chan really needs a father after all." Tomoyo added in a small voice.

Sakura sighed. "Mou. Onii-chan has been bothering you again, hasn't he?" 

Tomoyo smiled and crunched her nose. "But, he's right, Sakura-chan. Rei-chan does need a male around him."

Sakura protested. "But he has Onii-chan and Yukito-san and Syaoran."

"I know." Tomoyo sighed. Sakura was right, she hadn't thought of when the time would come for Eriol to leave. Rei would be devastated. "Rei-chan knows it too. But is it enough?" Sometimes, she wondered if she was the right mother for Rei. The social people had cringed when they heard she was single. Yet, she was rich, extremely rich and once more, money had made the balance tip. However this time, Tomoyo couldn't say she wasn't glad to be one of the town Heiresses. 

"Tomoyo-chan…"

Tomoyo let her eyes wander in the pasts, recoiling her own upbringing with a single mother. "Sometimes, I wonder what will happen when he will have his first Children's day at school. When only his mother would come…" She still remembered hers. It happened before her first Children Day with Sakura and her own family but Tomoyo had never truly forgotten it. For once, her mother was late, busy with a meeting. Oh, Tomoyo understood and she wasn't lonely: her mother had sent with Tomoyo her bodyguards, who had watched over Tomoyo since she was born, treating her like their princess. But still, as she watched her classmates, laughing with their parents, showing off their fathers and whispering secrets to their mothers, Tomoyo had felt a pang of loneliness, which had turned into raging sobs. She remembered her guardians' sudden panicked state and thankfully for them, her mother had arrived very shortly after. Sonomi Daidouji had then gathered her little daughter in her arms and all went well again, but Tomoyo hadn't forgotten.

"Tomoyo-chan, you were the same." Sakura's voice interrupted her little trip down the memory lane and Tomoyo sent her a lopsided smile.

"Yes, but I suffered as well." Tomoyo turned her eyes to Sakura's. "You too, Sakura-chan. Don't deny you've never, not never one fleeting moment, wished your mother were there."

Sakura nodded slowly. "I don't deny it. But we made it. Why wouldn't Rei-chan?"

"But…" Tomoyo started to protest, then stopped. "You're right, thank you, Sakura-chan." Tomoyo smiled. Of course, Sakura was right. Everything would be alright. Or so hoped Tomoyo. 

"Now, time to get these two out!" Sakura clasped her hands, lightening up the mood. Downstairs, a sudden string of curses rose in the air: Sakura had stopped the fight earlier and had punished both Syaoran and Ruby Moon to mend whatever they had broken together with Spinel Sun to watch over them. Of course, both Ruby Moon and Syaoran had strongly rejected the fault on the over and refused to cooperate but Sakura would have none of that. Therefore, seeing her little form boil with anger, Ruby Moon and Syaoran had set out to work, but none liked it. 

"Yes!" Tomoyo agreed and called. "Rei-chan! Time to come out!"

"No!" Came the angry muffled answer.

"Some things never change." Sakura rolled her eyes and shrugged while Tomoyo groaned. Another fight to come with Rei.

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Here, it is. I guess, you guys, see where this is heading! 

Anyways, please drop a few reviews in the box, please!!!

Love and peaches, 

mikim


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